Shadow of Darkness
by iridescentwings
Summary: After foiling an attempt on Yuna's life, Rikku goes on a very familiar and frustrating journey to discover just what this dark evil is that is destroying Spira, and her cousin! Throw in one obnoxious Faction leader and you have a recipe for disaster!
1. Chapter 1

**Shadow of Darkness**

_Hey! Thanks for choosing to read Shadow of Darkness!_

_Disclaimer: I'll only say this once because it's pointless to reiterate it. I don't own anything from FFX or FFX2 (Because I would make X3, if I did!) What I do own is what follows: the plot (superlicious, that it is) and any characters and potentially locations that you don't recognize! _

**Chapter 1:**

"Kweh!" squeaked a chocobo as it hopped in place in the hot sands of Bikanel.

"Did you find something, girl?" the young blond woman astride it asked her steed, leaning over its feathery neck. She swung her leg over the chocobo's back and hopped into the sand. "Ooh!" She crouched down to inspect what the sand had revealed. "What a good little chocobo! Nhadala will _love_ this." She scooped her new little treasure into a half-full knapsack and clumsily mounted her chocobo again, grumbling, "They really need to make you birds a bit shorter."

"Rikku, mad'c ku!" _::Rikku, let's go!::_ a man shouted from a nearby hover as it hummed to life.

"E ghuf, E ghuf. Gaab ouin byhdc uh!" _::I know, I know. Keep your pants on!::_ With a shout, the girl addressed as Rikku urged her chocobo forward towards the hover. Unexpectedly, it lifted into the air. "Hey! You meanie! You're leaving me behind! I don't want to get eaten by some Humongous-Fiend-From-Beyond-The-Farplane!"

The Al Bhed diggers in the craft simply laughed and they began roaring across the dunes.

"Zeud! Syli pesg nihi, vihgc!" _::Wait! Come back here, jerks!::_ She scowled. "Come on, Kwehn! Let's go!" Crouching low, Rikku hung on tight as the chocobo raced across the dunes after the hover. "Jump birdie, jump!" she shouted when the approached the steel platform floating behind the craft. She thumped its sides firmly with her heels.

With a mighty "KWEH!" the chocobo, whom Rikku dubbed Kwehn, sprang from the sand and clattered noisily onto the platform. The Al Bhed in the craft all laughed. Rikku scowled at them.

"Haqd desa, frah E cyo fa'na mayjehk, oui kad ouin lida meddma pidd uh dra lnyvd!" _::Next time, when I say we're leaving, you get your cute little butt on the craft!::_ the pilot grinned.

She harrumphed loudly, which earned her more peals of laughter. Shaking sand from her hair, she reached over the bench seat and jabbed the pilot. "Fydlr fryd oui cyo un drec lida pidd femm kad oui ehdu dnuipma, secdan!" _::Watch what you say or this cute butt will get you into trouble, mister!::_

Securing the reins of her chocobo safely on the flat behind the hover, Rikku then clambered over the bench seat, kicking several Al Bhed in the head and earning a lot of snide comments before she settled in the spot next to the pilot.

"Careful, or you'll earn yourself a mess of enemies, missy," he said in Common.

"Yeah right. Everyone is afraid of me because I helped defeat Sin _and_ Vegnagun. I'm a hero! No one wants to be my enemy!"

He laughed a bit. "If that's what you think…"

She made an insulted noise when everyone laughed again.

''''

Rikku sighed as she stepped out of the bathroom, cinching one towel around her body and using a second to scrub her long blond hair dry. "What a long day…" she murmured, glancing around. It was so empty and quiet in her little flat on Bikanel Island. She was a social creature. She needed friends to talk to or she was miserable! And the Al Bhed she worked with just didn't cut it- she'd made plenty of friends with them… But there wasn't that deep connection she had with her cousin, Yuna, and Paine the Grumpmeister, as she secretly referred to the girl.

"This is so _boring!_" she muttered, allowing the towel around her to drop to her feet as she rifled through her closet for something clean to wear. Ever since the defeat of Vegnagun and Shuyin, she had been basically on her own. Yuna had earned herself some time alone as she had been reunited with Tidus and Paine said she wanted to go on a self-discovery journey and had to do it alone. Rikku figured Paine was eager to avoid any further company with Rikku, since Yuna wasn't there to help alleviate the girl's hyperactivity. It upset her that someone she considered a friend wanted to avoid her at all costs but she swallowed her pride. Paine was just that way.

Finally dressed and her hair braided into two fat pigtails, she sat down on the edge of her bed and began to clean the sand from beneath her fingernails. She did this in silence for several long minutes, until every last nail was free of the granules. With a great sigh, she tossed the file onto the night table and flung herself across her bed. '_Maybe I should give Yunie a ring… no… she deserves some time alone with Tidus… Paine? Well, of course not, I drive her batty!_'

There was a loud buzz that caused her to yelp and fall off her bed with a start. She sat up quickly and stared at the source of the noise, her commsphere, as it buzzed again. It buzzed a third time before she thought to answer it. Stumbling over all sorts of her belongings that were strewn across the floor, she fell again right before the commsphere. With a groan, she reached up and snagged it off the table and flipped the switch. "Rammu?" _::Hello?::_ she said in Al Bhed without thinking as she winced, rubbing her ribcage.

"Well if it isn't Cid's girl, heiress to the Al Bhed throne," said a taunting voice that grated on every one of Rikku's nerves each time she heard it. She looked at the smirking figure in the sphere.

"What do you want, Gippal? And will you stop saying that?!"

"Is that any way to greet a friend?"

She gave an annoyed sigh. "No, but you're not a friend. What do you want?"

"What a harsh little girl-"

"_GIPPAL!_" she trilled.

He snickered at her annoyance. "Ygea, ygea, U'cc mea la buisi." _::Okay, okay, I'll say my piece::_

"I'm waiting."

"Hasn't anyone ever told you, patience is a virtue, girly?" Gippal laughed and folded his hands behind his head casually. "Anyway, I don't think I'm in any hurry. In fact… I think I have _plenty_ of time for small talk."

"You- you-!"

"Yes me. I'm great, and how are you, kiddo?"

"Don't talk down to me, meanie!"

"Ooh, better watch your language, missy. Meanie, being such a strong word and all-"

"You want strong words, I'll give you strong words, you-!"

"Hey, watch it! There's kids around here, you know." He gestured out of the sphere's visual range.

She wrinkled her nose and took a deep breath, desperately trying to calm herself. This was what he wanted- to get her worked up into a fit! "What do you want?" '_You hotheaded, loud-mouthed, peacock-feather-strutting loser!'_ she added silently.

"I have a proposition to make, kiddo."

"Well, start proposating, I don't have all day!"

Gippal sniggered. "Is proposating even a _word_?"

"_Gippal!_"

"Yeah, well anyway," he scratched the back of his head. "How would you like to come work here at Djose for me?"

She lifted a brow. Something was up. "Work at Djose. For you? What- do you want me to be your lap dog or something?"

"Hmm, do you have a dressphere for that? Something a little sleek, sexy-"

"Oooh, can't you be serious for once, meathead?"

He laughed. "Well, I'm not the one who is name calling. Anyway, no, I don't need a lap dog. I just need someone to run errands, take notes at any meetings that arise, handle my schedule, that sort of thing."

"You want me to be your secretary? Since when did _you_ need help?"

"Since you started working at the Bikanel dig. You've caused productivity to plummet. I figure you'd be more useful here."

She blinked. This was an unexpected reason. "Plummet? Excuse me, but I bring in twice what everyone else does!"

"Exactly."

She stared at him. How did that cause 'productivity to plummet', as Gippal put it? With all her hard work, it should've risen! "How?"

"You work too hard-" 

"_Too har-_"

"And you make everyone else look bad. So they figure 'why put in the effort when they're being held up against the Al Bhed Heiress, Digging Maniac?"

Rikku made an affronted noise. How dare he!

"So. What do you say?"

"I say you can just go take a jump in the Farplane! You think you can insult me and then expect I'll take a job offer from you!? You must be joking!"

Gippal sighed. "Well, at least I'm honest."

She growled. "You're wrong. Everyone here likes me."

"They tolerate you. Honestly…" He held up his hands. "Hey, you'll see what I mean, if you get off your pedestal and take a look around."

"I'm not on a pedestal! And you…! _Gah_! If you call here again I'll…. I'll… do something so horrible I don't even know what it is yet!" And with a glare, she flipped off the switch on her commsphere before he could offer a witty reply.

'_Ugh!_' she thought. '_How can the Machine Faction tolerate him as arrogant and stupid as he is?_' She flopped back and remembered there was a time when she hadn't thought so terribly of him. They might have been considered friends, sometimes, in their youth. That was well before she went on her quest to save her cousin from the atrocity that was a summoner's pilgrimage to defeat Sin. When she reunited with him years later- when they were at Djose, just before the whole Vegnagun fiasco- she thought he had changed. He seemed friendly enough- even though he still called her by that dratted nickname 'Cid's girl'. But further discussion with him proved fruitless. Sure, he had matured enough to be capable of running the Machine Faction at such a young age, but this was about all that had improved. He was still immature around those he hadn't employed. He was sarcastic, mean, obnoxious, and- "Ooooh, he just gets on my last nerve!"

Moments later, the commsphere buzzed again. Rikku groaned. "Persistent, isn't he?" she muttered to herself. It buzzed again. She looked at it, arching a brow. "I am _not_ answering you." She turned from it, defiant. It buzzed three more times. "Oh fine!" Reaching back, she smacked the sphere, turning it on.

"Look Gippal, you jerk! I told you I wasn't going to work for you! Nothing you say will make me change my mind! See, you don't offer a girl a job and then insult her in the same breath! Call me again, and I'll sic the fiercest fiend I can find on you!"

Rikku smiled in satisfaction at the silence from the sphere. He was in shock! For the first time ever, she had rendered him speechless!

"Uh… Rikku?"

The smile on her face dropped suddenly and she froze. That wasn't Gippal's voice. In fact, it wasn't even male! She whirled on her bed towards the sphere and saw a familiar face in the watery blue. "Yunie!" she squealed.

Yuna's face smiled up at her. "Hi! Upset about something?"

"Just Gippal, but that's nothing new," she said with a sigh. "So why are you calling? I haven't heard from you in ages!" She flopped down on her stomach before the sphere. "So how are things with you and Tidus?"

Yuna blushed faintly and smiled. "They're good."

Rikku grinned. "C'mon. Something is up, I can tell. Spill it."

"Well… last night… Tidus asked me to marry him!" She held up her hand and a pretty blue stone (Besaid's customary engagement gem) sparkled on her finger.

"Ooh! You said yes! But why didn't you call me last night then?!" She pouted. "Why wait so long to tell me?"

"I tried. You didn't answer."

"Didn't answer… Oh, right! I was doing a nighttime excavation with Nhadala." She grinned sheepishly.

Yuna laughed. "Yeah, so don't blame me. Anyway, Wakka's planned an engagement part tomorrow night. And if you came, that'd be great!"

"Of course I'll come! No way would I miss it- I miss everyone too much! How's Vidina?" She loved Wakka and Lulu's son to bits! If she ever had kids, she'd want one just like Vidina.

"He's trying to walk now. Wakka's positively ecstatic."

"I'll bet! Ooh, I wish it was tomorrow already!"

Again, Yuna laughed. "I know. Say, have you heard from Paine recently?"

Rikku propped herself up on her elbows and wrinkled her nose. "No. I think she's trying to avoid me. How come?"

"I just haven't heard from her and I can't connect to her sphere- if she still has it." Yuna frowned slightly. "I was going to invite her to the party too."

"Well, knowing how fast news about Gullwing Yunie spreads 'round Spira, she probably already knows."

She giggled. "That's true." A moment later, a blond young man appeared next to her in the sphere.

"Hey groom-to-be!" Rikku said playfully, waving.

Tidus smiled and waved back. "Hey Rikku. Yuna told you then, I suppose?"

"Of course! You excited?"

He grinned. "Yeah, who wouldn't be?"

Wakka's voice could be heard bellowing in the background. Yuna made a face. "Looks like we have to go. See you tomorrow?"

"You can count on it! See you then."

''''

"Found another part! I'm done for the day!" squealed Rikku as she filled her daily parts quota in just a couple of hours. She held the machina proudly over her head. The Al Bhed near her looked up.

"Well isn't that typical?" he muttered, sitting back in the sand and dusting his hands off, as if in defeat.

She blinked, puzzled. "Huh?"

"Nothing… I'm sure even though you're taking a day or so off, you'll make it up and then some in an hour, won't you?"

Rikku frowned. '_Meanie_,' she thought. But at the same time, Gippal's comment the previous day floated to the surface of her thoughts. '_Cripes… he was actually right! Not fair!_'

She clambered onto the waiting hover and dumped the sand out of her shoes as it sped across the dunes to the campsite. She remained silent on the way, sulking. She had always liked her coworkers well enough. She knew most pretty well from childhood, as all the Al Bhed had lived in the same area, the same Home. It was upsetting to think that they didn't even like her.

"We're back," the pilot said, rounding the hover and breaking her reverie.

"Oh…" She then realized that yes, they had returned to the campsite. "Thanks, Makkal." She hopped down into the hot sand and tromped over to Nhadala, her scavenger bag clutched tightly in her fist.

Nhadala, as usual, was busy with the work of ten people, but somehow able to manage it all. "Rikku!" the woman called, looking over a mountain of scrap machina parts.

Rikku rounded the mound and emptied her bag next to the others. She laughed when she looked up from the mess and saw the commsphere in Nhadala's left hand and a stack of papers on the makeshift paper near her right. She really _did_ do too much… "Haven't you ever thought to give some of this to the others?"

"Yes, but I have this system and it works very well. Besides, do you think it would get complete to Gippal's nearly unattainable high standards if someone else did it?"

Rikku laughed. "No."

Nhadala gave her a rueful grin. "I didn't think so… though that doesn't stop me from wishing. I'm rather behind today… Let's see what you brought me." She pieced through the new additions to the pile. "Great work Rikku! I can always count on you to bring in plenty of the right stuff."

"Yeah well… I wish the others shared your sentiments…"

"Oh, don't worry about them. They're just jealous of your abilities." The sphere in her hand buzzed. "But anyway, you have a ship to catch, don't you?"

"Yeah, I should be back either tomorrow or the next day."

"Take your time." The sphere buzzed again. "I know, I know!" she told it impatiently.

Rikku laughed. "Caa oui mydan, Nhadala," _::See you later, Nhadala::_ she said as the woman answered her call.

"Honestly Gippal, could you possibly pick a _worse_ time to call?!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Shadow of Darkness**

_Thank you beach-kitty, kingleby, Tamelia, and Cute-kitty2 for your wonderful reviews!_

**Chapter 2:**

Rikku leaned against the ship's safety railing as if she could make it go faster by doing so. The little island of Besaid was peeking at her over the horizon. She groaned. The ship was taking its own sweet time, she was certain.

"If Brother and Buddy still had the airship, I'd be there already! I would've been there _hours_ ago," she whined to herself. But no. They _had_ to gamble it in Rin's new game, Sphere Break. And they lost it to whom else but Gippal, who always seemed to be good at anything that had the potential to make her miserable.

She paced the deck for a minute or so before looking out to see again. Well, at least Besaid seemed to be getting closer as the minutes passed. She'd fantasized that it would turn out that the longer they sailed towards the island, the further it would go. A true nightmare.

It was half an hour later when Rikku finally disembarked at the Besaid dock. "Yunie!" she squealed, running in a wobbly fashion over to her cousin and embracing her cousin and best friend.

Yuna laughed and hugged her back. "It's good to see you."

"You too! Let's get to town! I want to see Wakka and Lulu and little Vidina! Oh, and Tidus too." She took a few shaky steps forward. "Ugh… sea legs- I forgot about them."

"Well, now you can 'shakey-shake' your way to the village," Yuna teased.

"Not funny," she said, but she giggled anyway.

Both girls grinned, running across the beach.

"Last one there is a chocobo turd!" Rikku shouted, bolting through the tropical wooded area.

"Cheater!" Yuna raced after her.

''''

"_Yuna!_" Wakka tore down the sandy trail, meeting the girls halfway to the village. His brow was arched up in a tight peak, his eyes wide, giving him a panic-stricken expression.

"What is it Wakka?" Rikku asked, chewing her lip. He looked awful and, though she thought Wakka was a bit of a spaz, he never went this nuts over something. Whatever he had to say, it could not be good.

"Yes, what's wrong?" Yuna asked worriedly.

"I-it's Tidus!" he managed to force out through his gasps of breath.

Yuna's hand fluttered to her mouth as she gasped. "What's wrong?"

It was evident to Rikku by the fear in Yuna's eyes that she had remembered how he had disappeared after Sin's defeat. She knew Yuna wouldn't be able to handle it if he disappeared again.

"Tell me, Wakka!"

"That's the problem. I don't know, ya?" Wakka shook his head. "He just collapsed. And by the looks of it, something is seriously wrong, ya know?"

Rikku seized her cousin's arm and started dragging her down the path. "Come on, Yuna. Let's hurry!" The two girls raced after Wakka to the village.

"He'll be there, Yunie," Rikku told her reassuringly. He had to be.

"I hope so… I'm always so scared that one day… I'll go to look for him and he'll be gone again." She shook her head. "Maybe it's selfish, but I don't want to let him go again! I want to be happy for once."

"You _should_ be happy. You deserve it more than any of us. And, if someone disagrees, just point him out to me! I'll set 'im straight." Rikku grinned. "Or I'll get Paine to do it."

Yuna managed a small laugh. "Thanks, Rikku."

When they reached the village- which, Rikku was surprised to see, had almost doubled in size since Vegnagun's defeat just six months ago- Wakka led them to his and Lulu's humble abode. "He's inside."

Yuna grabbed Rikku's hand, squeezing almost to the point of crushing it.

"Everything will be fine," Rikku said, wincing. As much as she wanted to though, she didn't ask her cousin to released her iron grip. The girl needed some sort of comfort.

Yuna reached for the door flap hesitantly. As she did, it opened from the inside and Tidus stepped out. She dropped Rikku's hand, and her jaw slightly, in surprise. "You're all right then? Wakka told me you collapsed."

"Ya, I thought you had something serious!" Wakka added, clapping the young man on the shoulder.

Even Rikku was stunned to see him up and about. Wakka had panicked as though Tidus would never walk, or something as serious.

Tidus nodded, rubbing his neck absently, as he so often did. "Yeah, I guess I just tripped," he said sheepishly.

"Oh, good! I was so worried that you'd…" Yuna drifted off.

He took her hands and smiled knowingly. "I'm not going anywhere. Oh, hey Rikku."

"Hey." She smiled but it was only slightly. Something was wrong. She felt it deep in her gut, but it puzzled her. Tidus' answer hadn't satisfied her. After all, Wakka wouldn't have freaked out as he had over a mere stumble. Something had been seriously wrong with him!

Lost in this mystery, she didn't know Tidus was talking to her until he jabbed her shoulder. "Anybody home in there?"

"What? Oh… oh, yeah."

He gave her a peculiar look- one she got often from Paine, unfortunately. "Care to come in with the rest of us?"

Rikku glanced around, finally noticing that, indeed, everyone was gone! "Oh! Well… move on over, lover boy!" She laughed and scooted past him, purposely ramming into his shoulder. The moment she touched him, she felt a cold chill trickle down her back. It felt wrong, dark… It was like-

"You okay Rikku? This is the second time you zoned out in like… 2 minutes," Tidus said.

She looked up at him and tried to smile. She had a feeling it looked more like a grimace. "I'm fine."

"Hey Rikku," Yuna called from the table in the middle of the room. "Come look at what Wakka's planned for tonight."

She moved carefully away from Tidus and trotted over to Yuna, peering over her shoulder at the scattered notes. "Ooooh, maybe we can ask him to include a concert, courtesy of our very own Gullwing Yunie!"

"Don't you dare!"

Tidus came over, grinning hugely at the comment. "A concert from Yuna, huh? Sounds perfect to me. I've yet to see you perform."

"Now look what you've done!" Yuna complained. "No way, no how, not ever!"

''''

"I don't know how you managed to talk me into this," Yuna muttered to Rikku, worrying the white silk swags of fabric that draped over her left hip.

Rikku grinned, sporting her own songstress garment. "Oh, come on," she said, dancing around Yuna's small home excitedly. "You know you love it! Besides, I'll be your backup dancer. So you have nothing to worry about." She grabbed her cousin's arm. "Let's go! Your adoring fans are waiting!"

"Wait… wait… just a minute… You go out there. I… I'm not ready!"

She arched a brow and dropped her cousin's arm. "All right… you don't have to be nervous though, you've done it before!" she said in a singsong tone. "But if you're not out in five minutes, I'm coming in and dragging you out. By your ankles!"

Yuna laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll be out in five, I promise."

With a grin, Rikku turned and flounced out the door.

Already the entire village flocked to the fire pit near the Temple of Yevon. A huge bonfire roared. Lighting was set up on the last landing of the rarely visited temple- the stage for her and Yuna. Looking around further, Rikku discovered Wakka tending to the food while his son Vidina scooted around his ankles.

Rikku headed over to Wakka, scooping little Vidina into her arms. "Nice party!" she shouted over the crackling fire. Vidina tugged fiercely at one of her many braids and she winced. "Strong kid too!"

Wakka looked up and grinned. "Thanks." He glanced past her. "Where's Yuna?'

"She's still getting ready. I think she's nervous."

"I would be too, ya?"

Rikku grinned. "Especially in that short skirt, tubby." They laughed.

"Care for a fish?" He held up one that was very well done- burnt, in fact.

"I'll wait. Don't wanna jump around on stage with food in my belly."

She glanced around and noticed with a frown that Yuna still hadn't come out. Honestly! She had nothing to worry about! "I'm gonna get Yunie. Be back in a bit!" she set Vidina down and headed back towards Yuna's place. Just seconds before she reached it, she heard a scream from inside. Her insides went cold. "Yunie!"

She threw open the doorflap and gasped in horror at the sight before her. Sprawled on the floor was Yuna… and sitting on his knees over her with hands clasped firmly around her neck, was Tidus! Yuna clawed desperately at his hands, but his grip wouldn't give. Realization hit Rikku. He was going to kill her!

"Yunie!" she screeched again, rushing over. "Tidus, what are you doing!?"

He didn't answer.

"Tidus!" she screamed.

His face was blank but his eyes burned darkly. Rikku seized his arm and yelped in terror at the tremendous force of utter, total wrong, black hatred and rage, filled her. But she didn't let go. Yuna's life depended on it! Slamming her heels into the floor, she leaned back and pulled his arm with all her might. It wouldn't budge. He seemed to have acquired the strength of ten men. Yuna's face was turning a violent shade of purple and her struggles became weaker.

"Yunie! Tidus, stop it!" Rikku shouted. "You're killing her!" She kicked him hard, but he didn't flinch. "Tellud," _::Dammit,::_ she whimpered, shaking the pain in her foot out.

A weapon. She needed a weapon. Unfortunately everything useful that she owned was not within ready reach and Yuna needed help _now_! She whirled, scanning the room wildly for something, anything, that would stop him. A chair! Seizing it firmly in both hands, she whirled and, throwing her whole body into it, smashed the chair across Tidus' head. The entire seat of the chair, legs and all, broke off from the force and went flying across the room. Finally, he collapsed, unconscious, at Yuna's side.

Rikku stood there for a moment, taking quick shallow breaths from her exertion. What happened? What the _hell_ happened? Her gasps became quaky and she realized that she was trembling. Her heart beat so madly she thought it would beat straight out of her chest. She had been so frightened! Even Sin and Vegnagun combined hadn't given her this much of a scare. She looked down at Tidus' limp form. Blood trickled into his hair and dripped sluggishly to a little puddle on the floor. Rikku felt her insides were like jelly.

"It's okay… it's okay," she told herself, gripping her arms to her chest. "I can cure him… somewhat." But Yuna needed help first. "He- he can wait." She turned. "Yuna, are you all ri-" Her cousin was sprawled motionless on the floor. She dropped to her knees and shook Yuna's shoulder. "Y-Yunie? Yunie, come on, wake up!" She shook her again. "Wake up, this isn't funny!"

She rocked back onto her heels and gave a small, relieved gasp to see that Yuna's chest was moving in shallow breaths. She was still alive! Her fingers itched with the bit of white magic she knew and she placed a hand on Yuna's forehead. "I hope this works." She muttered the word for her strongest curative spell. Blinding colors blossomed in the air around Yuna's body. But something unexpected happened. As the light enveloped Yuna, a black aura flickered close to her skin like an ominous dark fog.

"Yunie…?" Tears glittered in her eyes. What was wrong!? Jumping to her feet, she ran from Yuna's home.

"_Help!_" she screamed over the noise of the celebration. "_Help! It's Yuna!_"

Lulu and Wakka rushed over and the crowd, quiet now, was filled with a low, concerned murmur.

"What is it, Rikku?" Lulu said.

"I-it's Yuna!" she managed to choke out as the past events finally caught up with her, moving her to near hysterical tears. "Tidus! He- he," she gulped

"What is it!?" Wakka demanded.

"He tried to kill Yunie!" she cried.

The villagers fell silent. Rikku covered her face with her hands to block the confused, uncertain stares.

Lulu took Rikku's arm. "Take us to her," she said in a low, firm voice.

She nodded, with a hiccup, and led Lulu and Wakka to the scene. "Inside."

They slipped in and went to inspect Yuna first. Red fingerprints had begun to appear around her neck.

"So… he tried to strangle her?" Lulu murmured. Rikku nodded. "Why?"

"I don't know. I didn't think he'd _ever_ hurt Yuna…" Rikku said with a sniffle, reaching out to touch her limp arm. The strange black aura flashed around her cousin again and she drew in a sharp breath, yanking her hand back.

"What is it?"

"N-nothing." She shivered. What did she keep seeing? Didn't Lulu see it?

Biting her lip, she glanced over at Tidus, who was being carefully examined by Wakka. He pointed to the small puddle of blood near Tidus' head.

"What's this?" he asked.

"I um… hit him over the head with a chair." Rikku pointed to the broken pieces.

Wakka wince. "Ouch, that had to hurt, ya? But that's not what I meant. Come here." He motioned to both Rikku and Lulu. They went over to the body and peered at the blood. There was bold black liquid mixed with the red blood.

"What _is_ that?" Lulu wondered aloud.

"I don't know… But… I got that feeling from him when I ran into him earlier today. This dark, dark feeling. He didn't feel like himself, Lulu."

Lulu frowned. "I've never heard of anything like this. What ever it is, it must be serious. I do not believe Tidus would intentionally hurt Yuna. Not under his own power, anyway."

"Do you think he was possessed?" Rikku asked. She had the experience months ago when Shuyin possessed her and then Paine in the Den of Woe, and she knew what a nightmare it was to lose such control of your body.

Lulu shook her head. "I don't know. I don't know. As much as I hate to admit it, this is too much for me." She sighed. "We need to get a trained healer. Even just to revive them, my own magic isn't strong enough."

"There is a woman in Kilika with a good reputation for healing, ya know," Wakka suggested.

"Right. I've heard of her. Her name is Marin, isn't it?" Lulu added. He nodded. "It's settled then. We'll leave at sunrise."

"_I'll_ go. By myself," Rikku said.

"Why just you?" She looked at the girl skeptically.

"_Some_one needs to look after Yunie and Tidus so they don't get worse, and Vidina, because, well, he always needs to be looked after. I won't mess up, if that's what you're thinking."

"I suppose not."

"Have more faith in her, Lu!" Wakka said.

"Yeah!"

"Just because she had caused that big catastrophe at Mi'ihen, it doesn't mean she's always that unreliable," he added.

"Yeah! Hey! Wakka, that wasn't nice. I told you I was framed!" Rikku insisted.

Lulu smiled on of her rare smiles (which Rikku thought was pretty and made her look so much less forbidding) and she consented. "You seem confident enough. Then you'll leave at sunrise?"

Rikku nodded in confirmation. "Sunrise."

''''

Rikku stifled a yawn as she headed across Besaid to the Dock. Lulu was at her side, rattling off instructions.

"And do you remember her name?"

"Marin," she said, for perhaps the tenth time, with a yawn.

"Tell her it is an emergency. Explain everything- what was happening when you walked in, what happened while you were there, how you stopped it. Especially the black liquid in the blood."

"I know, Lulu. I was there. You don't have to remind me."

"Yes I do. Come on, the ship leaves in five minutes."

Rikku shook her head and sighed as they hurried down the beaten path and across the beach. They barely managed to reach the dock in time- Rikku had to quarrel with the captain to get her passage.

"And you remember her name?" Lulu said.

"Yes! Lulu, it's Marin!" Rikku said impatiently as she climbed aboard. "Trust me for once!" She made a face as she headed onto the deck. Lulu's lack of trust was _very_ reassuring. But she would not fail. She wasn't stupid. She would find Marin and Yuna would be safe! She had to be.

The ship's horn lowed and pulled away from Besaid's dock. Slowly, it gained speed and soon, the island disappeared from view. Again, Rikku stood up front, watching for Kilika anxiously.

"Please let this work," she murmured.


	3. Chapter 3

**Shadow of Darkness**

_AN: It took a bit longer for me to update than I had originally planned because I was sick the past couple days. Thank you for your patience! And not to worry, I have already finished writing chapters 4 and 5. I just need to type them up. Ciao!_

_Thank you kingleby for your review!_

**Chapter 3:**

Kilika was always a quiet village, Rikku knew, but this was eerie. The only people who were outdoors were people who absolutely had to be. There were no children playing, no couples walking hand in hand, no friends chatting, no families going on picnics. Silent. She only saw the occasional patrol and even more rare, a fisherman. Rikku glanced up at the well kept little huts along the pier, searching hopelessly for the one that would house the renowned healer, Marin. Nothing looked remotely medical. She frowned. Well, that had been a load of help.

"Perhaps I… ugh, should ask Dona." Dona- the snobby ex-summoner that Rikku couldn't _stand_! Unfortunately, she and her pushover Guardian/lover, Barthello, were the only people she knew well enough to bother.

She wandered to the end of the left pier and looked up at the hut before her with a grimace. Inside lurked the bitter she-beast, as Rikku secretly thought of her. This wasn't a visit she looked forward to, but Yuna's life rested in her hands and sacrifices had to be made. Taking a deep, calming breath, she climbed the wooden ram p to Dona's hut. Hesitantly, she pulled on a string of silvery bells and waited. Moments later, Dona's head peered out the doorflap.

"What is it?" She noticed Rikku then. "Oh, it's you," she said crisply. "Well? What do you want?"

"Nice to see you too."

She gave a haughty sort of sniff. "Yes. Charmed, I'm sure."

Rikku rolled her eyes. This was why she didn't like dealing with Dona.

"Well? Come now, I don't have all day you know," the woman said impatiently, when she didn't state her business immediately.

"Yeah yeah…" She took a deep breath. Biting off Dona's head would do no good at a time like this. But boy, would she love a chance in the future! "I was wondering if you knew where this healer named Marin lives?"

"Yes."

Rikku waited for directions but none came. With an annoyed sigh, she asked, "Well, can you tell me _where_ that is?"

"I could. But it wouldn't be of any use to you. She's not here."

"Excuse me?"

"She. Is. Not. Here. I don't see how I can make it any clearer," Dona replied frostily.

'_Excuse _me_ for living,_' Rikku thought. "Well, where is she then?"

"How should _I_ know? I don't keep tabs on her."

Rikku gave her an annoyed look. "You're making this difficult on purpose!" That was so like her.

"As flattered as I am that you think so, I'm not. She's been summoned to several different places to take care of this epidemic."

"Epidemic?" She looked puzzled.

Dona gestured about. "Look around. Don't tell me you haven't noticed the emptiness. It affects Kilika now."

"What is it?"

She shrugged. "They're calling it the Dark Plague. Whoever contracts it behaves as though possessed. Apparently, they're bodies are filled with darkness- they have no control over themselves. They destroy whoever or whatever comes in their path."

"Darkness…" Rikku echoed. She looked at Dona. "Yuna's been attacked by someone with the Dark Plague. We _need_ Marin! Yuna's life is in danger!"

"And so is everyone else's." Dona held a hand to her head. "Why don't you just go home? If or when Marin returns, I'll send her to Besaid."

"Yuna needs her _now_!"

"And no one else is important? Honestly, girl. She may have saved Spira twice, but that doesn't make her any more or less important than anyone else. I said I'd let Marin know. If you don't leave now, I might change my mind. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do." She disappeared back into her hut.

Rikku scowled in frustration. How irritating! Of course others were important, she thought as she headed down the wooden ramp again. But some people, regardless of importance, didn't really deserve their chance! Given the choice between saving Yuna and saving someone like Gippal (or Dona), she'd definitely pick her cousin.

She walked back through Kilika towards the dock. As she walked, she took not of the village's emptiness for a second time. No wonder there was hardly anyone about. They were afraid. Afraid to catch this Dark Plague. Afraid to hurt the ones they loved. And Rikku didn't blame them.

''''

It was dark when Rikku reached Besaid. Exhausted and heavy-hearted, she shuffled across the dock. She dwelled on this Dark Plague and how they could help Yuna the entire trip. She still thought about it. Unfortunately, there was no Marin with her. She had failed to bring the woman. Failed. It left a sour taste in her mouth. She didn't want to be known as Rikku the Failure. '_Paine probably would have succeeded._'

Wholly concentrating on her frustrated thoughts, Rikku failed to notice the wolfish field prowling the bridge she was crossing until she was nearly on top of it.

"Ur tysh," _::Oh damn,::_ she muttered. She was unarmed. All her weapons, dresspheres, supplies… they were all still in Wakka and Lulu's hut. The only thing she could do now was- "_RUN!_" she screamed. She bolted past the fiend.

"This is ridiculous," she moaned as she tore down the road. "I'm gonna die! Whoever heard of anyone outrunning a _wolf_!?"

She glanced over her shoulder. It was so close. Too close! And it was gaining! She screamed again and pumped her legs faster. Suddenly a second fiend joined in the chase.

"Oh cripes! Why me? Why always me!?"

The village was in sight. She was in the home stretch. And it was about time! Her legs were cramping, her lungs burning, and there was a stitch in her side. But she pushed herself harder. She couldn't stop just yet. Not until she reached the village entrance! She tripped over her own feet and tumbled head over heels- thankfully, straight into the village. "Ouch…." Wearily, she pushed herself up, panting heavily with exertion. She glanced back. The fiends paced at the village entrance, growling menacingly. She pushed her long blond hair off her sweaty face.

"Ha! Didn't catch me, did you?" Then she winced, clutching her side. "But it certainly was close." She dragged herself to her feet and staggered for Lulu and Wakka's hut. She pulled on the string of bells, and immediately, Wakka appeared.

"We've been waiting, ya? What's wrong with you?" he asked.

"Fiends… no weapons… running… nearly eaten. Ugh," she gasped.

He nodded. "And… where's the healer?"

Rikku whimpered and staggered into the hut when he stepped aside. "The healer- she wasn't there. She wasn't in Kilika." Lulu appeared then. "According to Dona. This… thing is called the Dark Plague and everyone is getting it. Apparently, Marin was summoned to a lot of different places at once and no one knows where she is right now." She sank to her knees as tears trickled down her cheeks. "I failed! I'm so sorry!"

Lulu sighed and kneeled next to her. "This wasn't your fault."

Wakka nodded. "Yeah, you didn't know she wouldn't be there."

Rikku sniffled. "You're not mad then?" She looked up at them.

"No. Frustrated, maybe, with this whole situation," Lulu said. "But not mad."

She nodded. "How's Yuna?"

Lulu shook her head. "Not doing too well. Neither one of them." She gestured to Tidus, tucked snuggly on a cot across the room from Yuna. "Their temperatures have dropped drastically. I've been curing them, so their temperatures have remained steady, even though they are low. But the low temperatures can't be doing them any good."

"And none of your spells can reverse it?"

"She's more of an accomplished black mage than a white one, but she's trying, ya?" Wakka interrupted.

Lulu managed a small smiled. "Yes. I only know the standard restorative spells- not very strong, but they do seem to be fending off any further drops in temperature."

It was then that Rikku noticed the tightness around Lulu's mouth and her bloodshot eyes. "Have you been working your magic all day?"

"Mostly."

"Are you trying to kill yourself?!" she squawked. "Get to bed!" She thrust her finger towards the bedroom. Magic was derived from the user's own body's power and, without rest or special, restorative liquids, death was a very real consequence. Even still… all day would take its toll, no matter how much the mage replenished his or her power.

"That's what I've tried to tell her," Wakka said wearily. "She wouldn't listen to me."

"That's because _you_ hardly know _any_ white magic," Rikku pointed out. Then she turned to Lulu. "I'm stronger in white magic than you, Lulu, so I'll stay up through the night. Just tell me what to do."

Lulu frowned and looked as though she'd say no, but, at the last minute, glanced wistfully at her bedroom. "All right… What I've been doing is using a spell on both of them about every half hour. Since you say your white magic is stronger, you could probably get by with just once every hour." She glanced back at her room. "And now… I think I'm going to try to get some sleep."

Rikku smiled. "That's a good girl. Wakka, go tuck her in like a proper husband."

Wakka managed to return the smile and, taking Lulu's arm, led her off. Rikku sat next to Yuna, who was tucked snuggly under several heavy blankets on a small cot.

"C'mon Yunie… don't give up," she murmured, squeezing the girl's limp hand. It was cold as ice. Rikku shuddered. It was like touching a corpse. She shook her head. No, that was an awful thought. '_Stay positive, Rikku._'

She glanced over at Tidus' body. Like Yuna, he was firmly wrapped in at least a dozen blankets. She flushed with embarrassment when she noticed the white gauze bandage someone had swathed around his head.

"Got him good, didn't you?" said a voice at her side.

Rikku jumped and looked over. "Oh, Wakka. It's you…"

"Yeah, me." He smiled and sat down. "Anyone but him probably would have died from that blow. You have a lot of power in you, for such a small girl." He glanced at Tidus as well. "His head is as hard as a rock, ya know?"

She giggled a bit. "Thanks, Tubby," she said with a faint smile. "That made me feel better."

He took a deep breath. "Well… I have something to tell you that won't make you feel so good…"

She frowned. Something that would make her feel bad? What more bad news would she be forced to endure? "What is it?"

"See…" He fidgeted uncomfortably. He didn't want to tell her, it was obvious. Rikku knew it was something worse than news that would make her 'not feel so good'. "Well…" he began again. "The people of the village… You know their thoughts on the Al Bhed, right?"

"I know how they used to be," she said uncertainly. "But they've changed. Since Yuna defeated Sin."

"Yeah. I thought that too."

'Thought?" '_Oh no…_' Rikku thought.

"Yeah. See… the villagers," he took a breath and started over. "The villagers, they think that _you_ tried to kill Yuna."

"What?!" she screeched. "Me? _Me_?! Why would _I_ try to kill Yunie? She's my cousin! _I_ was one of her Guardians. I was with her when we defeated Sin _and_ Vegnagun! I-"

"You're an Al Bhed," Wakka pointed out. "Yes, things are getting better for your people, but you're an easy scapegoat. Think about it. Why would _Tidus_ try to kill Yuna?"

"I don't _know_! You tell me!" she squawked, outraged. How _dare_ they try to blame her? She was always on Yuna's side!

He held up his hands in an attempt to appease her. "Let me finish, ya?" She fell silent, still fuming. "Tidus was also Yuna's Guardian. So why would _he_ try to kill her? Everyone knew they loved each other. And that night, _you_ were the one who discovered his attempts. You hit him over the head to stop him, yeah, but there are no other witnesses. And both Tidus and Yuna have yet to wake up, ya know? So no one knows what happened but you."

"But…" she said weakly.

"But nothing. Lu and I've heard… to the villagers, it looks like you attacked Yuna and then Tidus when he tried to stop you-"

"That's not true!" Rikku wailed. She was framed! Framed by those who didn't even know what happened. "I'd never hurt Yunie! Well… I might step on her foot- gah! You believe me, don't you Wakka?"

He nodded. "Of course. Lu and I both do. We tried to convince the others you were innocent, but they won't have it. We didn't have any evidence to _prove_ our claims." He shrugged again. "And then there is the fact that people can't forget that you're Al Bhed."

"But… but Yuna's part Al Bhed too!" she sputtered. Why did they just hate her?

"The villagers don't know that."

"Oh come _on_! They know I'm her cousin! All they have to do is put two and two together!" She folded her arms over her chest in a gesture of defiance. She wanted to see him top that one!

Wakka frowned. "Let me rephrase that- they don't want to see that. They don't want to believe an Al Bhed saved Spira, even a half-n-half. They don't want to believe that an Al Bhed was right about Yevon's lies. So they pretend she is just like them."

Rikku sighed and buried her face in her hands. Why, why, _why_ her? It was enough to give her a migraine. With a sigh, she looked at Wakka again. "What about the Dark Plague? Did you tell them about it? Did you tell them that's why Tidus went… absolutely stark raving bonkers?"

Wakka shook his head. "We didn't know that there even was such a problem until you came back. Besides, how do you know that this is what his problem _really_ is? Maybe it's not the Plague. Maybe Tidus really is… 'stark raving bonkers'."

She frowned. No… She knew he was normally a good person. It had to be the Plague. She was certain. "I… I just know. It has to be."

They were silent for a long time after. Rikku's day went from bad to worse to a rotten day on the dark side of the final ring of hell. How was this possible? Where was the logic? She came to Besaid to celebrate her cousin's engagement. And now she was charged with her attempted murder?! She flopped back against her chair and sulked.

"Rikku, I would leave early tomorrow morning if I were you," Wakka finally suggested.

"What?" she demanded, sitting up abruptly. "Why!?"

"The villagers might… react to you being here. You could be in a lot of danger. Lulu and I were glad you returned after nightfall. There were others watching out for your arrival until just a few hours ago."

"What?… But where will I go?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing!

He shrugged a bit. "I don't really know. Back to Bikanel Island, maybe?"

She shook her head and her blond hair flopped about, making her look a lot perkier than she was feeling. "I no… not many people really want me in Bikanel either," she finally admitted to herself. It really hurt. Damn Gippal. "Besides, digging isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"Look for Marin then," suggested a voice beside them.

"Lu!" Wakka yelped.

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep? Rikku asked.

"With all your talking? You are both so loud!" Lulu shook her head and sat next to Wakka. "I just couldn't sleep. I was worried." She glanced over at Yuna.

Rikku toyed absently with a braid. "You… you think I should look for Marin then?"

Lulu nodded, stifling a generous yawn. "It will give you something to do, anyway."

"And if you can bring Marin back, she might be able to revive Yuna and Tidus and clear your name," Wakka added.

She thought about it for a long time before eventually nodding. "All right. But… I'll need a way to Kilika."

"Kilika? Again?" Wakka arched a brow. "Why are you going back? Marin's not there."

"I know. But I'll have to stare there to get clues to where she might have gone. I doubt she got the messages through telepathic senses."

Lulu gave a small smile. "Perhaps you've grown up more than we thought."

"Rikku nodded. "Of course I have." She stood abruptly and tossed her hair back. "Now, when does the next ship leave for Kilika?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Shadow of Darkness**

_Thank you so much kingleby and Jers for your reviews! I'm so glad you like the story so far. I hope you all continue to like it._

**Chapter 4:**

Kilika again. And this time, Rikku thought it looked emptier than ever. Now the fishermen were gone and the patrols were even fewer. This troubled her deeply. Had the village already been affected by the Plague this much just overnight?

Clenching her hands at her side in determination, Rikku stalked back to Dona's hut. She would get answers! This time, when she rang the bells, a very distraught looking Barthello answered the door.

Her brow furrowed worriedly. "Barthello, what's wrong?"

"Dona!" he could only wail as he flung his large, muscular arms around Rikku.

She gagged, nearly crumpling from the weight. '_Cripes! He weighs a ton!_' She staggered and tried to push him back. "What's wrong?" she managed to ask again, though she dreaded that she already knew the problem.

"It got her! The Plague got Dona!" he howled tearfully.

Rikku gasped faintly. Oh, there were times she really hated being right! "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" He showed her a long cut on his arm. "She wounded me this morning! I managed to put her to sleep though and she's been unconscious since. I don't know what to do!"

She blinked in surprise. "She really did that? Where is she now?"

Barthello parted the doorflap and let her inside. Dona was, as he told her, unconscious, tucked tightly in bed, much like Tidus and Yuna were. She went over to the ex-summoner and touched her skin gingerly. Like Yuna's, hers was deathly cold. A dark aura filled Rikku's vision. It swirled like a storm around Dona's icy frame. She shuddered violently.

Rikku turned to Barthello. "Do you know any curative magic?"

"A little," he said with a sniffle.

"Use your strongest spell on her … about every half hour or so. It won't do much, but it _should _keep her temperature from dropping any further."

He nodded.

"Oh and… can you tell me where the healer, Marin, lives?"

"Yes, but she's not here. She left town a few days ago."

Rikku sighed. "I _know_ that. Just tell me where she lives. It's very, very important."

Barthello looked puzzled, but he complied. She nodded and hopped to her feet. "Thank you. And… I hope Dona gets better soon. Call me if you need anything." She scribbled down the channel to her commsphere. She was surprised to find that she actually meant what she said about Dona. This Plague, it scared her. Now it made home in a summoner? Summoners… Those who had immense spiritual strength… A shiver ran down her spine. Would _she_ get the Plague?

She said goodbye to the grief-stricken Barthello and walked down the piers of Kilika. Gripping her arms to her chest, she headed in the direction Barthello told her. Finally, she found it- a small hut tucked away between two larger shops. Marin's home. She glanced around cautiously before she approached. She didn't want anyone to see what she was about to do.

The doorflap was tightly knotted shut; except for the one small spot that every doorflap had- one large enough to slip a finger through. On the other side, a cord would hang- one that would release the knots. Glancing around again, Rikku slipped her finger in and gave the cord a sharp tweak and the knots unraveled easily, leaving the doorflap free to use. She frowned. This wasn't really how she thought the knowledge of opening this sort of door would come in handy. Taking a final look around, she slipped into Marin's hut. Thankfully, it was only early afternoon and the sunlight lit the room easily enough to see by.

The first stop she made was the dining table, which was cluttered with spheres, papers, and healing magic supplies. Rikku picked up a sphere and pushed play. The contents appeared to be those from just a friend/ She picked up another sphere. She didn't understand its contents, but it didn't seem to be a cry for help either. Neither was the third sphere or the first several papers. She frowned, disappointed with her fruitless search so far. If not by the spheres or papers, how was Marin summoned?

"She's not psychic, is she?" Rikku wondered. She left the mess at the table and explored the room some more.

She listened to her surroundings carefully as she prowled. Any minute, Marin could make a surprise return home! Every creaking floorboard was like a footstep. They rang like gunshots and she nearly jumped out of her skin when a sphere rolled off the table and landed with a resounding '_CRACK!'_ on the wood floor. She leaned against the wall, clutching her chest. Her heart nearly stopped!

"Calm down, Rikku," she muttered to herself. "You're not doing anything wrong. Just entering a stranger's empty house without permission. But with good reason! I'm not stealing anything! Just looking for clues." But she knew that if she got caught, that excuse wouldn't work at all. "I just have to be extra careful…"

Taking a few deep breaths, she crossed the room and picked up a sphere on top of a chest that was tucked in the corner between a wall and a wicker chair. Carefully, she turned it on.

_"Please, milady,"_ the man in the sphere said, in a panicked voice._ "Respond to this as quickly as possible. We are in urgent need of your knowledge and powers. The Plague…"_

"Yes!" Rikku whispered in delight. This was _exactly_ what she'd been looking for! She studied the scenery behind the man a little more carefully. By the looks of the man's backdrop, it looked as though the sphere originated in Luca.

The message finally ended and now she was certain it was from Luca. Carefully, she returned the sphere to its rightful location and dusted her fingers off lightly. Now she had a destination! "First stop, Luca. I wonder if there are any ships heading out today…"

''''

Rikku had been in luck. Within about an hour, a ship was ready to leave and she was on her way to her first destination. Late afternoon, she disembarked at one of Luca's many docks and made her way into the city. In contrast to Kilika, Luca was the bustling metropolis it always had been. But the atmosphere was far more tense than usual. Talk was quiet and people were always in a rush, as if by rushing they could avoid the Plague. It was almost depressing to watch.

She frowned as she headed through Luca. How had she never heard of this Plague before? Was Bikanel Island really that much out of the loop? Suddenly, she had a sinking feeling in her stomach. What if the desert island had been hit?!

"No. No, don't think of that now, Rikku. You could jinx it. Besides, you have to focus on finding Marin."

She wandered over to an information desk stationed in front of the famous Blitzball stadium.

"Excuse me? Do you know if the healer, Marin, came to Luca yet?" she asked the man behind the counter.

"I don't know," he replied curtly. "Do you think that I can keep track of all who come and go?"

She made a stunned noise. How rude! "Well excuse me! I was just asking."

He turned to her. His eyes glittered darkly. "What is it you _really_ want, filthy Al Bhed?" He grabbed her arm roughly and instantly Rikku saw a fierce black aura blaze around him.

She yelped and wrenched from his grasp. He had it- the Dark Plague… The man glared at her, teeth bared in an unfriendly grin. She rubbed her sore arm.

"I… think I'll go how." And she tore off for the town's square before he could make up his mind about how he wanted to shish kabob her.

The hate in that man's voice made a chill pass over her and she rubbed her eyes self-consciously. An Al Bhed's eyes were what tipped people off, with their strange, swirling irises that they were born with. She never felt as aware of her eyes as she did just then.

She glanced warily around the town square. Everything_ seemed_ normal here. But where would she go next? That was when she discovered a pub. Bingo! If anyone would know the gossip on the streets, it would be a bartender. She only hoped that the next person she ran into didn't want her dead. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and stepped into the pub. It was quieter than normal, even during the afternoon. She glanced around. The patrons were involved with their drinks. Most were drinking themselves into a blissful stupor. She frowned a bit at the sight. Part of her wanted that same drunken feeling.

"Can I help you, missy?" asked the bartender on her left.

"What?" She glanced over at him. "Oh… er yes. I was wondering if Marin, the healer, has been through Luca yet?"

The man nodded. "She was here a day or two ago, but she just passed through in a hurry. Apparently, all of Bevelle has been hit by this Plague that's going around."

"So… you think that's where she went then?" Rikku asked anxiously. Bevelle. Boy, she hated going to Bevelle- the center of all of Spira's lies. It was getting better under the New Yevon Praetor Baralai's control but her memories bothered her.

The bartender nodded again. "That would be my best assumption."

"Thank you so much."

He smiled. "Any time."

She turned and headed for the door. Then she paused. "Oh and, um, you may want to have someone take a look at the man at the information desk. He has the Plague." And she slipped out the door.

The bartender frowned a bit. "Can she see the black aura too?" he wondered.

''''

"Bevelle?" Rikku moaned, heading towards the entrance of the Mi'ihen Highroad. "Why does it have to be so far away? By the time I get there, Marin will be long gone!" Now more than ever, she hated Brother and Buddy for losing the airship to Gippal.

"Gippal…" she murmured. Perhaps she could borrow the ship from him? "No! No way! I don't need him for _anything_!" But the remaining trip to Bevelle would be mere hours by airship while on foot it would take days. And Yuna needed the help as soon as possible- right now, she was far more important than Rikku's dislike for the Machine Faction Leader. She had no choice. "That's not fair!"

There was a hover attendant at the entrance to the Highroad.

"How much does a trip in the hover cost?"

"400 gil will get you to the Rin's Travel Agency," she replied enthusiastically.

"How much will get to Mushroom Rock Road?"

"Well then, that would be 800 gil, of course."

"800 gil!?" Rikku yelped. That was ridiculous! She only had 1000 gil left. A yellow flash caught her eye and she glanced to the attendant's other side. There were a small handful of chocobos tethered beyond the hover. "How much for a chocobo then?"

"200 gil."

That was more than she was hoping for. She sighed. "I'll take a chocobo then. I need your fastest one."

The attendant released one of the birds and led it to Rikku. "This is Yuna, our speediest. She'll get you to Mushroom Rock Road in about, oh, ten minutes."

Rikku stared at the chocobo skeptically. "Yuna? You named her Yuna?"

The woman grinned. "Of course not. She already had that name when we purchased her."

"Let me guess? You got her from Clasko's Chocobo Farm?" Rikku asked.

"Yep."

She winced. She should've known- Clasko, chocobo aficionado, adored Yuna almost to the point of worship when she'd decided to help him realize his dream of his own a chocobo farm. Oh cripes! What if there was a chocobo named Rikku?! '_How disturbing_,' she thought, handing over the money and mounting the chocobo. Ew. Who could imagine what sort of people might ride a chocobo named Rikku…

"Go birdie!" she cried, because she couldn't bring herself to call it Yuna.

The chocobo gave a mighty chocobo screech and took off, knocking Rikku off her back in the process.

The attendant giggled. "Yeah, you have to hold onto her tight and crouch low over her neck. Otherwise, the momentum will keep knocking you off."

She rubbed her hip with a grimace. "Ouch… You could've told me sooner."

"Sorry." The attendant gave a sharp whistle and Yuna the Chocobo came trotting back. She held the bird as Rikku mounted again.

As previously advised, the girl crouched low over the chocobo's neck and wrapped the reins firmly around her hands. "Let's try this again, without knocking me flat this time. Run like the wind, birdie!"

Yuna the Chocobo fluttered her wings and took off sprinting smoothly down the Mi'ihen Highroad. Rikku was stunned when they passed a hover further up the road like it was standing still. "Whoa! They weren't kidding- you _are_ fast!"

True to the attendant's word, she reached the entrance to Mushroom Rock Road in exactly ten minutes. Carefully, she slid off the bird's back and handed her over to the hover attendant stationed nearby.

"Have a nice day!" he called out as she paused at the Road's entrance.

She smiled back at him, but it looked forced. Who could have a nice _anything_ when the person one couldn't stand was just a walk away?? She took a deep breath and told herself that her cousin's well being came first. With this constantly replaying in her mind, she continued.

Rikku hadn't walked long before she reached another hover attendant, this one an Al Bhed, who was leaning against his small hovercraft reading a fat, well-loved book. It looked like some sort of history of machina book. She smiled. "Excuse me?"

The man started, dropping the book on his foot. He winced. "Er… what can I do for you?"

His voice was awfully familiar. She squinted at the man. "Arrik, is that you?"

"Huh?" He squinted right back at her. "Rikku? It is you! Wow, it's really been a long time since I last saw you!" Arrik grinned.

"I should've known it was you! You're always reading these things." She crouched and picked up his book.

"Of course!" He grinned, taking the book from her and stashing it in a bag on the hover. "How've you been?"

"I've been better. A lot of things aren't really going my way right now…" She made a face. "But never mind that. How are you?"

"Good, good. I'm getting married next month."

"You? And the lucky bride isn't machina?" she teased.

"Of course not." He laughed. "Though she is almost as nuts about machina as I am. Now, what can I do for you?"

"I need a ride to Djose, please."

"Ahhh… to see a certain Machine Faction Leader named Gippal?"

"Yes."

Arrik grinned impishly.

Rikku made a face, understanding the expression instantly.

. "It's not what you think, sunuh _::moron::_! I'm on an important mission. And unfortunately I need his help."

"Ah, a mission of great import. Well, I suppose I can cut you some slack then. Normally, hover trips are about 100 gil, but I could let you go for fifty. That okay?"

She wrinkled her nose a bit. She was hoping for free, but she supposed this was the best he could offer her. It was better than nothing. "Yeah, that's fine. Saves me a bit of money, anyway. And I don't really want to walk down this road at night." She gestured towards the setting sun.

Arrik revved up the hover and climbed on. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get to Djose!"

Rikku climbed onto the hover and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. '_Wow… he finally lost that 'baby fat'. He has a pretty firm body!_' she thought giddily as they roared down the road.

''''

Arrik pulled to a stop at the first bridge over Djose's river. "This is as far as I can take you. The hover would chew up the bridge."

"This is fine." Rikku hopped off and shook the blood back into her numb legs. "Thanks for the ride." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Good luck with the wedding! Don't forget to invite me!"

He laughed. "I won't. Caa oui mydan _::See you later::_!"

She waved as he roared off. Behind her, there was the sound of slow clapping. She whirled, startled. There stood Gippal. His trademark smirk was plastered on his face, but his eyes looked faintly annoyed.

Rikku frowned. That wasn't like him. She worried, briefly, that he might have contracted the Plague as well. Oh cripes, that would make things doubly awful. "What are you doing here?"

"I can walk where I want." Gippal folded his hands behind his head lazily. "So, did you come for the job after all?" he asked as the annoyed expression slipped from his eyes. He was making fun of her again. _That_ was just like him.

"No," Rikku said firmly, folding her arms over her chest defiantly. I told you I wouldn't work for you. But… I do need a favor."

"A favor eh?" Gippal smirked again. "After you decline my job offer? That really gets me right here." He patted his chest. "Hmm… Well, let's see what sort of agreement we can reach." He motioned for her to follow him. "Let's discuss this in my office."

Rikku eyed him suspiciously, but followed. There was no harm in it, right?


	5. Chapter 5

**Shadow of Darkness**

_Thank you so, so, so much Teef, kingleby (again and again! I'm so flattered you like it so much!), and milkie! I'm so glad you're all enjoying SoD so much! And.. on with the next chapter!_

**Chapter 5:**

"And that's why I need to borrow the airship," Rikku explained. She slapped her hands down on his desk to emphasize her need.

Gippal pressed his fingers together. "Well, that is quite a serious dilemma you have there."

"So you'll let me borrow it?" she asked hopefully. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all…

He gave a small chuckle. "Now wait just one minute. I didn't say that."

Or… maybe he was. Rikku groaned and stomped her foot childishly. She hated him! He was absolutely, completely, without a doubt infuriating!

Gippal smirked and held up his hands. "Now now. Before you have a complete hissy fit on me, I'm willing to lend it to you, for a small price."

She eyed him warily. "A _small _price huh? How much are we talking here?"

He leaned forward with a grin. "How much do you have?"

And right then she knew she'd have to be careful. She knew he would try to charge her more than she had if she told him how much she really had left. She made her expression desperate. "I only have 300 gil," she said.

"Oh, too _bad_! I was thinking more along the lines of… ohhh, 500."

"I knew it! Ha! Hand it over bucko!"

"You knew what? I don't have to hand it over- you only have 300, remember?"

She smirked triumphantly. "So you thought. I lied!" She pulled out her money pouch. "750 gil. 500 are yours. So hand over the keys, flyboy."

"500? Did I say 500? I meant-"

"Uh-uh," she interrupted, wagging her finger at him. "You said 500 gil and I want it at 500. Unless you want to reduce your price. I'm game for that."

He grinned and leaned in close, his face just inches from hers. "I'll be willing to reduce the price if you can convince me well enough."

She grimaced and placed a hand on his head, shoving him back. "Ew! Not even if you paid me."

Gippal leaned back in his chair and laughed heartily. "Well, aren't you a bitter one?"

She sighed, annoyed. "The keys?"

"Sorry kiddo, no can do."

Rikku narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Uh… I mean exactly what I said. Which is No. Can. Do."

"Why!?" Again, she slapped her hands on his desk, this time in frustration.

Carefully, Gippal pushed her hands away. "If you don't knock it off, you'll break the furniture." He leaned back in his chair casually. "Anyway, I can't hand over the keys- well, I can, but they'd be worthless. See, over a month ago, I had the Celsius' engine dismantled and all her workings gutted out. Your ex-airship is useless now."

"What?!" she squawked in sheer horror. "You're lying!"

"Am not. We needed the parts. What else could we do?"

"You can reassemble it! Gippal, this is an emergency!" she cried, "Yunie could die!" She climbed onto his desk and seized his shirt, shaking him back and forth with vengeance. "Fix it and fix it now, dammit! If she dies I'm blaming _you_!"

"Ow, _ow_! Watch it, you nut!" He pulled out of her grasp. "You need to settle down, kiddo. Getting worked up won't solve anything."

"I can't settle down! Yuna could die. And if she does…" Rikku slumped limply on his desk and tears formed in her eyes. "They're blaming _me_, Gippal! They are saying that _I_ tried to kill her." Now she really started to cry. "Just because I'm an Al Bhed…"

Gippal stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. I already told you that getting upset wasn't going to solve anything. Calm down."

She looked up at him, sniffling. "But doesn't it ever bother you? The things they say about us?"

"Nah, of course not. I don't let it get to me," he said so easily that Rikku had a feeling he was lying.

Still, she managed to force up a watery smile. "I guess being cocky has its perks, huh?"

"Yeah…" Suddenly, his neck and ears flushed red and he pulled his hand of her shoulder quickly, as if it was a hot iron.

She gave him a weird look. What was _his_ problem?

He walked quickly towards a filing cabinet and gestured wildly about. "Get off my desk, will you? You're sitting on important paperwork."

"Oh, _sorry_." She slid off the desk and, because she was suddenly irritated and wanted to annoy him as well, she purposefully knocked several stacks of papers off the desk.

"You did that on purpose," he muttered.

"Oh, I'm just rotten to the core," she said with sarcastic delicacy. "Bad Rikku." She slapped her hand.

He made a face at her and crouched down to reorganize the mess. Feeling a bit guilty, Rikku knelt beside him and helped.

"Listen," Gippal finally said, tapping a handful of papers on their side to straighten them out. "I have an airship of my own. It's smaller than the Celsius, but it flies." He seemed quite obsessed with his stack of paper. He kept tapping it on various sides, as if it wasn't adjusting right. "It's available, if you need it."

Again, Rikku eyed him suspiciously. "How much will _this_ cost me?"

"Free, dummy."

"Free? Yeah right."

"I'm telling the truth. But there is one condition."

She lifted an eyebrow. She didn't like conditions, particularly if Gippal was giving them. "Okay… what is this condition?"

"I pilot."

"What? _Why?!_"

He held up a finger. "First, you don't know what you're going to come up against with this Plague. According to your story, this Tidus guy was almost too hard for you to fight off. You'll likely need some help. And besides, I'm a bit curious about this Dark Plague myself. I don't think Djose's been hit."

She had to admit he made a fair point. "And is there a second reason?"

"Yeah."

She stared at him when he didn't continue. "Well? What is it?"

He grinned and held up a second finger. "Second, there is no way in _hell_ I'd ever let you pilot my baby." He laughed at her when she gasped, offended.

Rikku scowled at him. "Ooh, you stupid… stupid meanie!"

Again, Gippal laughed. "I'm not stupid _or_ mean. I'm cautious. There's a difference." He wrapped an arm around her neck and ruffled her hair vigorously. "Word on the street is that Cid's girl is a klutz."

"I am not!" And she proceeded to trip over her own two feet, scattering the papers she had just cleaned up.

He smirked. "Ah, what was that?"

"Mnod ob _::Shut up::_."

''''

Later that evening, Rikku followed Gippal deep into Djose's temple. Eventually they reached a chamber that had been transformed into a hanger filled with half-finished airships and machina galore. A handful of Al Bhed milled around, working on various projects.

"Mikkeb!" Gippal shouted over the clanking of metal and general chatter.

A short, lithe old man trotted over. "What do you say, Gippal?" He grinned youthfully at Rikku. "And what a beautiful companion."

Rikku flushed and smiled.

Gippal rolled his eyes. "I _say_ don't hit on Cid's girl."

"Cid's girl? Rikku?" Mikkeb chortled. "Why, I haven't seen you since you were knee high!" he said cheerfully.

Gippal sliced his hand through the air before Rikku could reply. "Enough of the small talk. The girl and I are leaving in a few hours. I'll need you to handle operations while I'm away."

"Ah, you and the lady alone?"

Gippal snorted. "Not like that, you dirty old man!"

"Yeah, I already told him not even if he paid me!" Rikku chimed in.

"You're not helping."

"Who asked you?"

Mikkeb laughed again. "Okay okay. Yeesh, kids these days can't take a joke." He shook his head. "So, how long will you be gone?" he asked Gippal.

Gippal cast a sidelong glance at Rikku. She shrugged. "It could be a day. It could be a lot longer. We're looking for someone and we only have a few clues."

The old man nodded. "All right. I'll keep everything under control until you come back Gippal."

"Thanks." He motioned Rikku to follow him again. "The ship is further down this way."

"It must be small, if you can hide it behind a few machina," she commented.

He shrugged. "Well, yeah. It's probably about… oh, a third the size of the Celsius."

She squawked. "Do you even have an engine in it!?"

"Of course. Come on, kiddo. You think that, after all the time we spent here tinkering, we can't build a more compact engine?" He snorted. "Honestly…"

They rounded a corner and came up to a sleek black and silver airship. It looked like a slimmer, curvier, more compact version of the Celsius. Only way, way cooler. "Whoa! And this is _yours_?!" Rikky asked in disbelief. Gippal didn't need something so incredibly cool.  
"Yep." He gave the hull a loving pat. "I'd like you to meet the Cid's Girl Squisher."

She gave him a look. "Come on. You named it the Cid's Girl Squisher?"

He laughed. "Nah… But it has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"No," Rikku said flatly. She circled the ship, trailing her hand along the smooth metal exterior. "What _did_ you name her?"

He shook his head. "Nothing yet. It's hard to find a fitting name."

"How about The Cocky Bastard?" She smirked.

He gasped, aghast. "How could you call such a beautiful airship such a cruel name?"

"Easy. I take a look at her owner."

"What a demon you are."

She leaned against the nameless ship. "So, what is it that's going to take a few hours to complete?" she asked, ignoring his previous comment. "Why can't we leave now?"

"Well, as you have probably noticed, I _am_ the Machine Faction leader. I have some things I need to finish before I leave. Besides that, I haven't used this baby in a while." He patted the ship tenderly. "She's going to need a bit of time to warm up nice and easy."

Rikku frowned. She liked this plan less and less. Every moment they stayed here was a moment lost for Yuna. She needed to find Marin as soon as possible! "How long is this going to take?" she asked.

"Impatient, aren't we?" Then Gippal shrugged. "Two hours? I don't know."

"But it's night! Don't you stop working like normal people?"

"Not for a long while most nights, kiddo. I have a lot to do, you know."

"Well, what am I supposed to do while you're working? Recite the former summoner's in alphabetical order backwards while skipping rope?"

He snickered. "That would be entertaining." Then he grinned. "Or you could always take that job offer and give me a hand."

"I told you no and I meant it!"

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

''''

Rikku frowned at the huge stack of papers on her right. "Why am I doing this again?" she asked Gippal over the stack of folders in front of her.

"So we can leave sooner. Are you going to ask that _every_ ten minutes?" he asked over a stack of packages filled with machina parts courtesy of Nhadala.

"Probably."

"Well you shouldn't complain. I'm giving you a free ride all over Spira so you can find that Marin woman, out of the goodness of my own heart."

"Okay, you made your point." She filed away a report. The amount of work Gippal did, everyday apparently, was incredible! No wonder he needed an assistant. He probably did three times the work Nhadala did!

She glanced up at him. He was worrying his bottom lip as he held a paper in each hand, comparing and contrasting costs and various other estimates. His brow was scrunched in concentration and he carelessly swept a strand of blond hair from his good eye as it skimmed the papers.

Rikku felt her face grow hot when she realized she was staring and quickly, she looked down at her filing again. How ridiculous! And then she couldn't help it- she looked at him again. She'd never seen him work so diligently at one task in his life. Like her, he always had to do something new or risk becoming careless with boredom. Maybe he'd calmed down?

"… on my face?"

She shook herself out of her daze when she realized he was talking to her. "Wha?"

"Is there something on my face?" He grinned. "You were staring."

"I was not! I was … just thinking. That's it," she said stubbornly.

"About me?"

"You wish!"

Gippal snickered. "How would _you_ know what I wish for?"

She stuck out her tongue childishly.

Gathering up a new stack of papers, he walked over and set them down in front of her. "Would you like to know what I wish for?" he asked in a low, husky voice. He leaned down towards her.

Rikku drew back a bit. "N-no…" She was suddenly acutely aware of the fact that his mouth was just a finger's width away from hers. '_Don't you _dare_ think that!_' she warned herself.

"I wish… that you would pick up the pace! At this rate we'll be leaving Djose next week!"

She jumped back, startled, and then glared at him as she laughed. "You just stay on your side!"

He chuckled. "You're way too easy."

She blushed and busied herself with the filing. This was going to be a very miserable journey.

''''

The moon had risen high in the sky by the time Gippal's ship lifted into the air. Rikku was slumped in the navigator's chair, exhausted. She felt as though she hadn't slept in weeks. But she couldn't fall asleep! Not yet. Yuna needed her! She yawned. '_No! Stop yawning!_'

Her yawn was contagious, for Gippal yawned as well. "I'm wiped. You don't look too good either," he pointed out.

Half-heartedly she made a face at him. "I am exhausted," she admitted.

He stretched. "Why don't we go to bed? Set this on autopilot. We'll get a couple of hours of sleep anyway, until we reach Bevelle," he suggested.

She nodded. "All right." That sounded nice. Until she realized what she had just agreed to. "Wait a minute. Gippal, this ship only has one bedroom!" And a small one at that!

"So? Your point is?"

"My point is… that I'm not sharing a room with you!"

With a chuckle, he said, "Are you afraid I'm going to make a move on you? Give me a break. I like my women with a good figure." He made a curvy motion in the air with his hands. She glared at him. "Anyway. Even if I _did_ like you, I'm too tired. But if you have such a problem, you could always sleep in your chair. I'm sure it will be delightfully comfortable."

"No way! _You_ sleep in your chair!"  
"I'm not the one with the problem."

Rikku scowled a bit and followed him to the room. "What sort of idiot makes a ship with only one room?

"One who doesn't expect to tote around bratty little girls."

She harrumphed. So she was being a bit bratty. Did he have to point that out so pleasantly? "Fine… but I get the bed."

"Uh-uh. My ship, my bed. I'll share if you like," he offered with a generous smirk.

She sized him up. He didn't look like he'd cave about the bed but she didn't really want to sleep on the floor either… "Oh fine."

"After you, kiddo."

She clambered onto the bed and braced her back firmly against the wall.

"Oh grow up. I'm not going to bite," he muttered, pulling his shirt up over his head.

Rikku stared for a moment. For such a jerk, he really had a very nice body. Ew no! This was Gippal! Blushing faintly, she averted her eyes elsewhere as he kicked off his boots and pulled off his pants. "Keep your pants _on!_" she screeched.

"Yn mnod ob _::Oh shut up::_ . I have more clothes on than you usually do." He tugged at the waistband of his boxer shorts. And then he climbed in to bed next to her. "Stop making that face. You look dumb."

She harrumphed again and tried to scoot further away from him.

"The wall isn't going to absorb you, if that's what you're hoping," he said with a smirk. "It's steel, not a sponge."

"I know that." She propped herself up on her elbows and threw him a withering glance. "If you so much as touch me, you're so dead."

"Oooh, so _scary!_" he squealed.

"I mean it!" she trilled.

Defiantly, he stuck out his index finger. "Ooh, it's the Pointer Finger of Despair!"

She gave him a scalding look. "Don't even think about it!" He was such a _child_!

His finger hovered over her shoulder. "I'm not touching you. I'm. Not. Touching. You." Poke. "Oh no! I'm touching you! Warning warning! Pink Fluffy Bunnies Attack! _Ahhhhhh!_" he screamed, thrashing his pillow around. "Stop the fluffy cuteness. Noooo!"

She ground her teeth. "Oh grow up!" No _way_ would she use an attack by that name! She'd have to show him just what attack's she _would_ utilize. Pulling her knees up, she kicked him hard in the side and effectively shoved him clean off the bed. "More like The Sideswipe Special!"

He yelped. Moments later a pillow and blanket hit him in the face.

"And stay there!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Shadow of Darkness**

_This chapter is a week late, so there will be 2 chapters this week! Review stuff is at the bottom because there were a lot for the past chapter!  
  
_****

**Chapter 6:**

"No… no!" Rikku moaned, thrashing like a cornered animal. "It wasn't me!" Her arms flew up over her face.

A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly. Her eyes flew open and she shrieked. Reflexively, her hand shot out and connected to soft flesh with a sharp slap.

"_Ow!_" yelped a voice and the hands dropped her shoulders. "Dammit, did you have to hit so hard!?"

"Gippal?" She sat up quickly and her forehead cracked with his. "Ow!"

Gippal yelped again. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"N-no…" She rubbed her forehead with a wince. Hitting his head was like hitting a marble wall! "Where am I? What's going on?"

"You're on my airship, remember? And from the looks of it, you were having a bad dream."

"Oh… yes…"

"Did you want to talk about it?"

"No. I'm fine." The members of dream Besaid only tried to kill her, with Wakka and Lulu leading the way is all. Not to mention the darkness that shimmered around their bodies like death. No, she was perfectly fine.

Rikku forced up a smile. "So… are we to Bevelle yet?" It was still dark.

"In about five minutes. I have to get landing permission and I'll ask for one of the attendants to get Baralai. He should know where your healer woman is."

"Wow," she said with a yawn. "Behind that idiot face is an actual brain."

He smacked her head. "I could say the same for you but I've yet to see any signs of a brain."

"Watch it, or you just might get a Trust Kick to the Groin attack!"

"You don't have a boyfriend, do you? You're too violent for anyone's well being."

She growled at him. "Let's just get to Bevelle, okay?' Gippal stood and padded for the door. "And put some pants on!" she shrieked. She shoved past him.

He followed her with a huge smirk plastered on his face. "Yeah, but what if I like just going around in my shorts? It _is_ my ship after all. I can do what I please."

She scoffed. "You do this on purpose, don't you?"

"Of course," he admitted. "It's so easy to get a rise out of you. It'd be boring if you didn't react the way you do."

Did he have to be so blatantly honest? "Have I told you lately how much I hate you?" Rikku grunted.

"Not nearly enough. You know, hate and love are the same-" The commsphere on the navigation screen screeched noisily. "Oh! Time to get permission to land!" Gippal skirted around Rikku and turned on the sphere. The woman who appeared in the sphere screen started at him in shock.

"Er… can I help you?"

Rikku giggled hysterically. He probably made this image of himself in his underwear- with an amusing chocobo print, no less- the stuff of that poor woman's nightmares.

"We'd like permission to land, please. And we would like to speak with Praetor Baralai as soon as possible. It's urgent. Tell him Gippal calls."

"R-right away." And she did as told.

"Well… she was rude," he muttered when the call ended. He scratched the back of his head, puzzled.

Rikku snorted back a laugh. "Eh, think about it Gippal. If you could see _her_ through the sphere, just _what_ do you think _she_ saw?"

"Huh?" He then seemed to realize that he was nearly nude. "Oh, right. Well at least I had my shorts on!" But when he stalked past her, his ears and neck were scarlet.

Rikku now understood that this was a sign that he was blushing. How weird that only his neck and ears reddened! She snickered. "I _told_ you to put on some pants."

''''

Rikku fell into step behind Gippal as they walked down the long, long path towards the New Yevon Headquarters, where Baralai would be waiting for them. She tucked her arms over her chest, glancing about warily. How Gippal could walk around here so confidently, even at night, was beyond her. She barely managed to conceal her paranoia- he actually noticed and asked her about it a couple of times. She didn't trust Bevelle. Too many bad things happened in Bevelle. It was the center of Spira's lies for a thousand years, after all. Perhaps there was a reason the Dark Plague was concentrated here.

"Baralai! How've you been!" Gippal called, waving casually to New Yevon's young praetor, who met them at the headquarter doors wearing what appeared to be a set of nice pajamas and a robe.

Baralai gave them a small bow. "Gippal. And Rikku." He smiled softly. "It's nice to see the two of you."

Rikku smiled, nudging his shoulder lightly with her fist. "Nice to see you too, Mr. Praetor," she teased.

Again, Baralai smiled. "Come in. To what do I owe this visit?"

Rikku and Gippal followed him through the ex-temple as Rikku explained the situation. For a long time, Baralai didn't reply. Only when they were all closed in his office did he speak.

"I wish I could offer assistance, but the healer, Marin, hasn't shown up yet."

"What? Did we beat her here then?" Gippal asked.

"Somewhat," Baralai said with a small shrug. "She was supposed to be here two days ago. And as I said before, she has yet to arrive. So, naturally, we are concerned. But it is possible she was delayed." He glanced between Rikku and Gippal. "You both could stay here for the rest of the night, if you want to wait and see if she shows up tomorrow," he suggested.

They exchanged glances and then Rikku nodded. "We don't really have any other leads anyway."

He nodded. "All right. I shall set you two up with a room. You must be exhausted."

"Room_s_!" Rikku insisted. "I do _not_ want to share a room with _him_ again!" She thrust her finger in Gippal's direction.

"See what I have to put up with?" Gippal muttered to the Praetor.

Baralai sighed. "I can't guarantee anything. The city is full of people waiting for Marin. But I will do my best."

''''

"Dammit!" wailed Rikku after Baralai left the inn room. "Someone in the Farplane must really hate me…"

Gippal grunted in response, tossing his boots aside. "I'm sure there are plenty of people there who hate you. If I was in the Farplane, _I'd_ hate you too."

"I'm serious! How in the hell did I get stuck in a room with _you_ again?" she demanded.

"Hey, I'm not any happier being bunked with _you_, but Baralai did his best. He already told us he couldn't guarantee separate rooms, so quit whining over it!" he snapped.

Rikku gave a small whimper and sat down on her bed abruptly. She chewed her bottom lip. "You didn't have to get so mean about it.

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to act like a baby either, now did you?"

"Fine. If I bother you _that_ much, go ahead and leave. I got where I needed to be. I don't need your help anymore," she said huffily.

"You're so immature."

"So are you!"

"Besides, what will you do if Marin doesn't show up? _Swim_ back to Bikanel?"

"No! And don't say that. She'll show up. She has to."

Again, Gippal had stripped to his shorts. "And what will you do if she doesn't show up, hmm?"

"Then… I'll go look for her."

"Ha ha, good luck."

She glanced over at him. "And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You'll be on your own, won't you?" He stretched lazily and yawned, getting up to poke around the room.

"But…"

"I'm going home tomorrow. Remember, you said that I could if you bothered me. So… I am."

She made a face. So she had said that. "Well… I didn't mean it like _that_."

Gippal smirked and bent over to meet her at eye level. "Oh yeah? What _did_ you mean then?"

Well, that was _exactly_ what she meant but she couldn't let him know that. "Well- well… what I- I meant was-" Her brain didn't want to work fast enough for some reason. Why did she have to be so stupid whenever he was near? "Well, what I meant was- um…"

"Yes? I'm waiting." He leaned in more with a devilish smirk. "And this better be good or I'm not staying."

Rikku scrambled back until she hit the bed's headboard. "Listen… I- ugh, never mind."

"How about this? Just admit you need me." He leaned in so close his nose bumped hers.

She gulped and slid down, trying to escape under his arm. But he was too quick for her. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her back down to the bed.

"Just admit you need me," he repeated, plopping down to make himself comfortable on her hips.

"Like hell!" she screeched. "Let me go, Gippal! Let me go now!"

"Not until you admit you need me."

"Get off!"

"All you have to say is 'Gippal, I need you!'" he said in a squeaky voice that was supposed to resembled hers.

"I don't sound like that!" She tried to wrench her arms free. As a result, he pinned her more firmly. "Let me _go!_"

"Hey, I gave you the conditions. Come on, it'll be fun. Just say it."

"Fun my ass." Rikku scowled and squeezed her eyes shut. "Fine. Gippal, I need you," she said through gritted teeth.

As promised, he released her. "Now was that so hard?"

"You have no idea," she muttered.

He walked back to his bed and flopped down. "Goodnight, kiddo. Or good morning, if you will," he said, rolling onto his side. Moments later, she heard the scratchy breathing of an almost snore.

She glared huffily at his back. How could he do that to her? She kicked off her boots and, gathering a nightshirt, quietly padded to the bathroom. Her wrists tingled where Gippal had grabbed her. Her face flushed. "No, no, no!" Hastily, she turned on the water and splashed her hot face with the cool liquid. '_Deep breaths, Rikku. You're just tired. You always do stupid things when you're tired._' She stood there with her hands in the water for several minutes as her mind worked to reassure her. Finally, hands frozen, she was convinced. She snagged a towel, turned the water off, and began to change for bed.

Moments later, the door opened. As a knee jerk reaction, Rikku whirled towards the door. There stood a sleepy looking Gippal. But his sleepiness didn't last for long. His eyes popped open.

Rikku shrieked. "YOU _PERVERT!_" She hastily wrapped the towel around her. Grabbing the small wicker wastebasket, she threw it at him, followed by a bar of soap and a small bottle of shampoo, which hit him in the eye. "Get OUT! Getoutgetoutgetout!"

Gippal gripped his eye and, with a noise of surprise, blindly stumbled back. "Sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"Don't you know how to _knock!?_"

"It was an accident!"

"Accident my ass!" And she slammed the door. He did that on purpose, she was certain! Mortified that he had seen her stripped down to her panties, she hastily yanked her nightshirt on and stalked into the room.

"I'm probably blind now," he muttered to her, still holding his eye. "No thanks to you, you brutal freak."

"You deserved it, you peeping pervert! Well, I hope you enjoyed the show!"

"I told you before that you don't give me any thrills. Not even naked. I like my women curvy."

She picked up one of her boots and threw it at him with the intent of knocking him out. A scowl crossed her features when he caught it deftly. "I really, really hate you."

"Trust me, Young and Violent One, the feeling is oh-so-mutual."

''''

Rikku didn't awaken until the middle of the afternoon that day. She stretched lazily and, smothering a yawn, glanced at the bed to her right. It was neatly made and it's occupant appeared long gone. She sat up hastily and glanced around worriedly.

"Gippal?" No answer. She tried again. "Hey, where are you?"

Her only answer was silence.

She hugged her blankets to her chest. He'd left, just like he had said he would. "You jerk… You told me that you'd stay if I said I needed you!"

She stopped herself. Why was she getting so worked up? Gippal was finally out of her hair! With a chuckle of glee, she clambered out of bed and got ready for the day. After a quick shower and a bite to eat, she left the hotel room in search of Baralai. What she found nearly made her heart stop. She found the New Yevon Praetor easy enough, but with him was a somewhat unexpected companion- Gippal. She frowned, walking over to them.

"It's about time you got up, sunshine," Gippal said with a smirk.

"I thought you'd left," Rikku replied grumpily.

"Me? Leave you? Never. You'd get into such trouble." He looked at Baralai. "She's always like this the morning after," he said seriously.

"You _wish_!" she shrieked.

"Didn't we already have this conversation?" Gippal shook his head and clamped a hand over her mouth. "See? What did I tell you? She's in denial."

She glared at him and furiously contemplated biting his hand, but it was gloved and she doubted he would've felt it.

Baralai chuckled. "You shouldn't pick on her so. Despite how small she is she's tough. I know from experience."  
She nodded emphatically.

Gippal laughed and released his grip on her. "You know I'm just messing with you, kiddo."

Again, she glared at him. " What were you two talking about anyway?"

"Marin," the men said in unison.

"Has she shown up yet?"

Baralai shook his head solemnly. "I'm afraid not. I was just about to send out a small search party." He began to pace. "I'm very concerned. More and more citizens of Bevelle are falling victim to the Plague."

"We'll help," Rikku said, grabbing Gippal's arm.

"We will?" he said, as though this was news to him.

She gave him a look that read 'Disagree and die!' "Yes. We will. We'll start now." She grabbed his shirt and pulled him after her. "We'll start in Macalania Woods.

"Macalania? It's a bit close so don't you think that someone would've found her there? Besides, we're not prepared to go traipsing through that winter wonderland!" he protested.

"We don't have time! People _need_ Marin! Now come on!" And she hauled him, protesting and all, through Bevelle.

''''

"It's so c-c-_cold!_" Rikku said with chattering teeth. She rubbed her arms vigorously in attempt to gain some warmth.

"Y-you're the one w-who wanted to c-c-come here without p-preparation!" Gippal chattered right back. His breath came out in frosty white puffs. He grabbed her frozen arm. "C-come on. W-we have t-t-to keep m-moving."

They moved deeper into the winter forest. Suddenly, Rikku pulled Gippal back to a stop. She looked off to a small path on her left. There would be Yuna's Spring, as she'd come to know the otherwise nameless place at the end of a small, trodden path. "Let's check there." She had this feeling in her chest that the healer would be found there.

They wandered down the quiet path and emerged in front of a glittering spring. Rikku drew in a sharp gasp, abandoning her awareness of the cold. There was a small figure crumpled before the water's edge. Dropping her grip on Gippal's shirt, she ran towards the form. But before she could reach it, a monstrous fiend sprang into her path. With a shriek, she backpedaled so quickly that she lost her balance and fell.

"What the hell _is_ that thing!?" Gippal exclaimed, running over and yanking her to her feet.

Rikku only had a moment to recover feeling in her arm. The beast gave a head-splitting roar from a towering height. It was huge and surprisingly slender, but its lithe body reeked of power. With its red scaly skin and razor-like silver claws and teeth, Rikku knew this was no ordinary fiend. She held her arms up over her face to shield herself from the blast of wind created when it flapped its powerful black wings.

"What are the odds that kitten will eat us for dinner?" Gippal muttered.

"Probably… one million to one."

"And how about odds for us kicking its ass?"

"Probably the exact opposite. No… absolutely the opposite." She whimpered when the beast roared again, challenging them to meet their deaths.

Gippal hauled his weapon of choice, a rather large gun with tremendous power, off his back. "Well, are you ready?"

"Not really…" Rikku pulled her daggers out of the holsters.

With a battle cry, they both charged the beast.

………..

_milkie: Well, Gippal took of his pants to go to bed because his pants are way too bulky to sleep comfortably! (And I'm glad you liked it so much!)_

_kingleby: thank you for the compliment! I'm flattered you enjoy it so much!_

_Cute-kitty2: You think so?? Well I guess you're right! Cocky and he knows just which one of Rikku's buttons to push!_

_Xx rikku xX: I'm a big fan of Rikku/Gippal too! Whether this story will evolve that way, I don't know! But I'm glad you enjoy it!_

_Fanfic-Lover: Wow! I'm so flattered your enjoying this story so much! And thanks to your post about the barkeeper, you actually gave me an idea. Thank you!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Shadow of Darkness**

_I lied, I know… I said this chapter would be up last week… Gomen! bow_

**Chapter 7:**

_CRACK!_ The sound tore through the forest like a gunshot. From the wounded tree slid Rikku in a daze. She'd hit the tree when the fiend struck her with a tremendous blow. There were large gashes along her back, from which blood trickled freely. She groaned, touching the red sticky liquid. That beast really got her good…

Trembling, she tried to get to her feet, but her knees gave out and she fell, slamming her injured back against the tree. She cried out in pain.

Gippal hit the fiend with a powerful thunder spell and ran to her side. Despite the low temperatures of the frosty Macalania, he was drenched in sweat. "I'm surprised you're still alive," he said, administering a quick curative spell.

"Me too…" she murmured. "Thanks."

He collapsed beside her. "No… problem. I'm just gonna… rest here. Yes… because… that beast is a bit stubborn. He won't die. I even asked him nicely."

Rikku would've laughed, had she not been in this position.

The fiend roared again, having recovered from the electrical shock. It shot towards them, claws extended, ready to take them down with own quick, messy gouge.

"It's a fast bastard, isn't it?" Gippal shook his head. "Funny thing is… I can't move."

"That's _not_ funny!" She seized him by the waist and pulled with all her might. It was no use. She wasn't strong enough. The fiend was closing in. She jumped in front of Gippal, summoning the strongest spell she knew.

"No you moron! In your condition, that much power could kill you!" Gippal shouted over the energy that crackled in the air.

"We'll _both_ die if I don't! So shut up, you're breaking my concentration! I'm not gonna let you die!"

Gippal blinked in surprise.

Finally, Rikku released the energy in a tremendous explosion of white light. With a lot of effort, Gippal flung his arm over his eyes and still, the light nearly blinded him. The fiend shrieked in terrible, devastating agony and suddenly… it stopped. He let his arm flop limply to the ground and opened his eyes. Rikku was still standing, surrounded by hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pyreflies. She turned to him with a smile and wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"Who said the girl doesn't got it? Not bad, if I do say so myself." And then she collapsed.

"_RIKKU!_" Gippal shouted. If she died… Cid and Brother and Yuna… They'd kill him! Mustering every last ounce of strength he possessed, he crawled over to her. "Come on, you. Wake up." He gave her cheek a light swat. Her skin was almost burning hot! "You little idiot. Just how much power did you use?"

The figure near the lake stirred. Slowly, its head lifted and drooped slightly. Rich black hair tumbled over one shoulder and the person turned to him. It was a young woman with a serious face.

Gippal gripped Rikku close. "Who are you?"

"I… am Marin," she said, drawing in a labored breath. She winced and held a thin hand to her forehead. "And you?"

"Gippal. This is Rikku." He released his death grip on Rikku's body with a flush. "Were you attacked by the fiend?"

Slowly, she shook her head and winced again. She drew in another labored breath and her shoulders wracked with cough. "I merely collapsed. I had no idea there was a fiend. What happened to your companion?"

He looked down at the blond. "There was this fiend… She used too much power to defeat it. And now…" He didn't know what was wrong. Was she dead?

Marin rose to her feet and staggered over. Gippal was in shock- up close, the woman looked under twenty years old. Hardly what he'd call a full grown woman, actually.

"You should rest," he told her.

The healer shook her head. "I will be fine." She placed a hand on Rikku's forehead and closed her eyes. Her lips moved silently and her thin black eyebrows furrowed together in concentration. For a short while, nothing happened. But as Gippal watched, a bluish white mist engulfed Rikku's limp body. Another couple of minutes passed and then… she stirred.

A nearly inaudible moan escaped Rikku's lips and slowly, one eye opened, followed by the other. She winced at the bluish light she saw. There was a woman with long black hair… what a mess her hair was. Her vision cleared. It was not just hair that she saw. "The… the plague!" she croaked.

The woman withdrew her hand and the black mist surrounding the woman faded. "I can't believe- You see it. You see the aura, don't you?"

Gippal seized Rikku under her armpits and hauled her away from Marin. "What the hell are you doing? I'll bet you're trying to infect _her_ now! You aren't healing, you're destroying!"

"Is this Marin?" Rikku asked.

Marin held up a hand weakly. "I am, yes. But please… it is not what you think."

"Then you better get your ass explaining to us quick. And it better be good," Gippal said frostily.

The healer nodded and coughed again. "I am dying. Passing through Luca on my way to Bevelle, I contracted the Dark Plague." She held a hand up to stop him from commenting. She struggled to take another breath. "I have been fighting it since. I've been successful because I know the properties- I know how to fight it. But it draws my strength- I can barely walk now. This plague… it is now ordinary ailment." She fought to go on. "It cannot be heal3ed by ordinary means because it is a supernatural ailment. Perhaps you could liken it to possession. Someone or something is playing with the people of Spira. The Plague won't stop until someone with the right power eradicates the Plague's controller."

"Are you the only one with that power?" Gippal asked with a deep frown.

Marin shook her head and looked at Rikku. "This girl. _She _has the potential for such power."

"_Me_?!" she squeaked. "But-"

"You see the black aura, correct?" Marin asked. Rikku nodded slowly. "That is the sign of your potential. But you don't have the proper strength of power yet." She smiled weakly. "We are lucky to meet before I die."

"What? You can't die! You have to see Yuna! She has the Plague!" Rikku said desperately.

The healer shook her head and coughed again. "It is too late for me. I will die shortly. But you… you can save her."

"Me? I tried already…" She hung her head. "It was useless."

Marin smiled. "No. Not useless. And I will help you. Give me your hands."

Rikku did as she was told, puzzled. Marin laced her fingers with the blonde's and held on tight. Shortly, their hands began to glow. "Wh-what are you doing?" she stammered. The connection was hot. Smoky white light soaked into her fingertips and she felt energy surging through her veins- she thought she was going to explode.

"I am giving you my power. This will help you defeat the creator of the Dark Plague."

"But you'll die if you do that, won't you?"

Marin smiled again. "Yes. I will die anyway. And I've accepted my death. It is almost complete."

"But… _no!_ I can't do this!" she protested. "I'm not the person you should be entrusting the fate of Spira to!"

"Perhaps not. But you told me that the young lady who has guaranteed Spira's future is now one who is threatened by the disease that means to destroy it. Do you want to help her?" She gripped Rikku's hands tightly. "But listen to me. You always, _always_ have a choice." The transfer of power was complete and Marin went limp. "It is done."

"But… wait! What do I do now?"

Marin, who seemed to have aged ten years drew in a final, ragged breath. "Go to my home in Kilika. You might find your answer there." Her eyes lost focus and her body fell slack.

"Marin! Marin _wait!_" Rikku wailed. "Wait! Where _is_ the controller of the Plague? _Marin!?_"

"She's…" Gippal picked up her wrist and let it go. It flopped listlessly to the ground.

It was true. She was gone. Her body disappeared into pyreflies. Rikku turned and buried her face in Gippal's shirt. "Why me? Why?"

"You're just lucky, I guess." He patted her back awkwardly. "Come on. Let's get back to Bevelle and let Baralai know what's going on."

She nodded and stood slowly. "I guess now I'm Spira's only hope…" She wondered if this is what Yuna had felt like when she had to confront Sin, then Vegnagun. She could sympathize with her cousin.

Gippal staggered to his feet. He plopped his arm heavily around her shoulders and leaned on her. "Help me back, will you? Anyway… Marin said you have a choice. You could always walk away."

She shook her head and helped him slowly back to Bevelle. Macalania didn't feel as cold as she did inside. "I don't have a choice. Not really. I _could_ walk away… but everyone would die. I couldn't cope with that sort of guilt, Gippal. Yet again, Spira has to be saved. And unfortunately, they picked me to do it- and I have no idea what to do."

''''

Baralai closed his eyes. It was the only sign he gave Rikku and Gippal that he was distressed. "She died then?"

She nodded. "And apparently… I have whatever power she had."

"So then, you can heal Bevelle's citizens?"

"N-no. I don't think so." She glared at Gippal when he elbowed her in the ribs. "Well, not yet anyway."

Baralai frowned. "This presents a new set of problems. Did she say whether the people with the Plague would die or not?"

Gippal shook his head. "Not a word."

"But I have to go back to Kilika. She didn't tell me how to use this power, but she did tell me I would find it there. Who knows, maybe she's right?"

"And if she can find out who or what started this 'plague', she can take it down and that should fix everything," Gippal added.

"Fat chance of _that_ ever happening."

"That's my line," he said, smacking the back of her head. She yelped and glared at him, rubbing her head.

With a sigh, Baralai nodded. "Then you should go. The sooner you get there the sooner you will find this 'plague's' origin and the sooner everyone will be healed." He made the reverent bow of a Yevonite prayer. "I wish you the best of luck, Rikku."

She fidgeted uncomfortably. Bad, bad memories were locked in that gesture. "Thanks," she murmured. '_Cripes. I hope I don't disappoint.'_

Gippal grabbed her arm and dragged her after him. "See you when this is all over!" he called to Baralai over his shoulder. He turned forward. "He's almost more serious than Paine. Yeesh. The guy needs to get laid or something."

Rikku stomped on his foot. "You sicko. The people in his city are sick! They look up to him for an answer. Unfortunately, his answer was Marin and she's dead. How do you expect him to feel? Honestly. He can't fix them on his own! And let go of my arm, would you?"

He did as told, surprisingly. "But what will being serious do for those people? Nothing, except make them depressed. Laughter is the best medicine, after all," he said.

She glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye. "Then why don't you offer to take the job as praetor? It seems that you know all about it."

"No way! Yevonites are a bunch of quacks, even if my best friend happens to be one of them," he said firmly.

Rikku had to admit that she agreed with his reasoning. "It must be tough having your friends leading different political factions with completely different ideas and agendas."

He simply shrugged. "It's not so bad. We've learned to just deal. See… we don't talk shop to one another, if you get my drift."

"Wow, that's really mature. I think I may faint from shock!"

He cuffed her head. "Careful, girly."

She made a face at him and rubbed her head for at least the second time that day. That had really hurt! They reached the airship in no time.

"To Kilika then?" Gippal asked after they entered, jumping into the pilot's chair.

"To Kilika… yet again."

"Hold onto your chair. It's going to be a bumpy ride!" Gippal howled in delight as they rocketed into the air and Bevelle disappeared behind them.

''''

The past several hours and been frustratingly quiet. Rikku was staring out at the ground below in quite a daze. Engaging Gippal in conversation had proved fruitless early on because he was adamant on remaining unnaturally quiet. She had to resort to staring out the window for entertainment. And that was only really interesting for the first hour or so. Antlike activity on Spira's landscape was only awesome for so long.

So, with chin on hand, she stared blankly at the open sky before her as her mind drifted to her present situation. Who could possibly want Spira's downfall? "A spiral of death," she murmured suddenly and the quote triggered a memory. The memory of a blue-haired man who took forever just to die and stay dead! Ex-maester Seymour. No.. surely he was on the Farplane. Or getting his just due in some murky hell- she liked the latter option. But he was dead. One couldn't get any deader. But… she reasoned, Shuyin was also dead. And look what happened with Vegnagun? She learned that feelings could linger in the world, even after death, particularly the negative ones.

"_Could_ it be Seymour?"

"Huh?" Gippal glanced at her.

She turned to him fully. "I think the one who created this so-called plague is Seymour- Maester Seymour."

"Seymour? Kid, he's as dead as dead can get."

"So was Shuyin," she retorted. And oddly, she was pleased when he couldn't reply.

He shook his head. "Don't jump to conclusions. It could be anybody. Just because you don't like-"

"It could be anybody, you're right. But who else would have it in for Spira like that?" she butted in. "You never even met the guy, let alone had to beat that guy's persistent ass who knows _how_ many times. If he took that long to actually die and stay dead then what makes you think being sent is enough to keep him away? He was nuts, Gippal. Absolutely flipped. I don't doubt that he _did_-"

"Okay! Okay, I get it. There's a 99.9 chance that it's Seymour. But there is a .1 chance that it's not, so we have to keep an eye and ear open. We can't throw all our energy into finding Seymour's… ghost in case you end up being wrong."

"Who's the leader of this mission?" she said grumpily, though she had to forcer herself to admit he was right. "Oh fine." But she was certain that her feelings on Seymour's guilt was correct. After all, who else could it be?

''''

Kilika… for the third time in the past few days… Rikku was getting a bit sick of seeing its bleak ghost town qualities. She disembarked the airship and stretched absently. _Now_ there was nary a soul walking around the little island. The Plague had changed the village so much. A feeling of foreboding setting heavily on her chest and she started to panic. She couldn't do it, not her! And they all depended on her, all of Spira! Hundreds and hundreds of expectations and she would fail them all!

A steady thumping noise blessedly cut through her fog of panic and she looked back quickly. Gippal had finally decided to disembark Strange to think he had probably just saved her sanity.

"I've never actually been to Kilika before. What a bustling little metropolis," he said sarcastically.

"Don't make fun. They're scared…"

"Like that guy?" He gestured behind her.

She turned and saw just what guy Gippal was talking about. "Barthello…" Hewas running towards her, looking frantic as ever. It worried Rikku when she noticed that he looked like he'd lost twenty pounds.

He stopped in front of her, gasping for air. "I thought it might be you," he managed to sputter.

She nodded. "How's Dona?"

He shook his head. "The same. I don't know if I should be more worried or not." He glanced at the airship behind her, then Gippal. "Did you bring Marin with you?"

She frowned and shook her head. "I'm sorry… she… she died."

Barthello froze, his face a mask of profound shock. "She-she what?"

Gippal came up next to Rikku and placed a hand on her shoulder. She was oddly at ease with this gesture… and she tried not to think about it as he did this.

"She died just outside of Bevelle," he told the distraught Barthello. "But you have the next best thing. Or you will eventually." And he pushed the blond forward.

Once again she glared at him.

"You will be able to help us?" Barthello asked desperately. His eyes were fixed on her, wide and hopeful.

She held up her hands. "I… I don't know. I can't promise anything." Damn that Gippal!

His face fell; Rikku thought that he looked as though someone took away his favorite toy. She felt guilty. How could she worry about her own fears when others were worrying over their loved ones- who were much more important? '_And Yunie- she needs help too._'

She took Barthello's hand. "I'll do my best, just give me some time so I can learn what to do."

He grabbed her shoulders. "But we don't have time! Dona needs you _now_!" he insisted, giving her a firm shake. She squeaked in surprise.

"Hey, chill out buddy," Gippal said, pushing Barthello away from Rikku. "If she needs time, she needs time and there is nothing you can do about it."

"I can' do about it…" Barthello murmured and then shook his head. He nodded at Rikku. I'm sorry. Uh… if you'll excuse me." And he left Gippal and Rikku standing alone.

"Fryd y fylgu," _::What a wacko::_ Gippal muttered, running a hand through his hair. "You okay, kiddo?"

Rikku nodded, watching Barthello leave. "He's just very attached to Dona…" She frowned suddenly. Why did she have a feeling he would do something stupid?

………..

_kingleby: That's what makes an interesting story! A little bit of everything. Just like Heinz 57 catsup, no? _

_cute-kitty2: Well, I forsee no sphere changes at the moment. _

_Fanfic-Lover: Yes you did give me an idea and I thank you again! And I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. _


	8. Chapter 8

**Shadow of Darkness**

_At last! I'm sorry about the wait! The chapter was written, just not typed up. But you're not here to read excuses, are you? On with the story! _

**Chapter 8:**

"So, what are we looking for exactly?" Gippal asked Rikku. He had just emptied a drawer full of paperwork, various tools, and other junk onto the floor.

Rikku poked through the mess with a heavy sigh. What _was_ she looking for? Marin gave her no hints. "Oh… I don't know. Perhaps the instruction manual that explains how I'm supposed to use these stupid new powers of mine. Or a map detailing the location of Seymour- or whoever created this plague," she added when she caught his warning look. "Take your pick. I could use either. Or both, really."

"I don't see anything like that… Would a hairbrush and a memo pad suffice?" He held up the two items with a smirk.

"Oh yes. I can defeat the Plague master with a paper cut! And then give him a new hairstyle." She shook her head. "Have you found anything _useful_?"

"Uh, _no_. Why do you think I held up these?" He tossed the brush and tablet aside and rocked back onto his heels with a sigh. "Maybe we should look for a diary?"

Rikku choked back a gasp. "Gippal, I'm appalled at you! A woman's diary is personal and private!"

"No shit, really?" He rolled his eyes and smacked the back of her head. "But she's dead and we need all the help we can get. I think my conscious will survive any guilt. Besides, it's not like I'm looking for all the dirty details of her life- though I'm sure that could be quite a good read-"

"You pervert!" she squawked. "You dirty, dirty… _boy!_"

"_Boy?!_ I'm all _man,_ baby!"

"Man my ass! I've yet to see anything but a sick little boy!"

"Oh come on! Don't tell me that you expect all guys to be chaste little angels!" Gippal shook his head. "If you think that, kiddo, then you have a _lot_ to learn about the birds and the bees."

"I know all about 'the birds and bees', you moron! _You_ told me _all_ about them, remember!?" Rikku argued.

"Oh yeah." He stroked his chin with a devilish look on his face. He remembered quite well, now that she brought it up. Her reaction to his rather colorful explanation when they were much younger had been priceless.

"You pervert! Honestly! For being the founder of the Machine Faction, you're such an immature little boy."

"Speak for yourself, kiddo," he retorted.

"Me? No, I'm happy being all female, thanks."

"I meant you're immature, utuyd :_:idiot::_."

"I only act that way so you can understand me," she snapped right back.

"No, you really _are_ just immature. Sorry to break it to you."

"I am not! You're the immature one! You…"

Gippal smirked as she ranted on and on… and on. "You know," he said loudly over her rage, "You're sexy when you're pissed off."

"And _then_- Excuse me?" Rikku stared up at him as though he had grown an ear straight out of his forehead.

He could only hold a straight face for a few seconds. His serious expression cracked and mirthful tears filled his eyes. He burst into hysterical laughter, doubling over. "Oh man… you should've seen your face!"

Her face screwed up in frustration. He was so irritating! Sick and twisted! That's what he was- a sick and twisted little boy! And she told him so.

He stood and leaned over her, as though he was trying to use his height to intimidate her. "Man. Not boy."

But she would not be intimidated- especially not by him. "Boy!" she retorted easily.

"Man!"

"Boy!"

"Man!"

"Boy!"

"I'm a man and that's final!"

Rikku meant to reply- she really did- but her words came out in a squeak as Gippal's mouth captured hers. Aggressive, yet soft; sweet, yet saucy- that described the kiss. She had kissed a couple of boys in her time, but this was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Part of her was repulsed, but surprisingly, _unbelievably_, it was only a small part. Gippal made kissing a work of art. Unexpectedly she moaned with pleasure. And this jolted her mind back into reality. Nasty! This was _Gippal!_ No, no, no! She pushed him back and wiped her arm over her mouth.

The silence that followed was unbearably awkward.

"Well…" Gippal said, looking as deeply uncomfortable as Rikku felt.

"So!" she replied, a bit _too_ enthusiastically. It was best to pretend that the kiss never happened. Yes. Best to forget that it made her tingle pleasantly all the way down to her toes. No! No, just forget! "You keep looking through this pile. I'm going to search over there. Way… over there." And she made herself comfortable far, far away from Gippal.

They worked in silence for a long time. The silence was so thick that it seemed as though even a sword could not cut it. It was so intense that a tremendous roar outside caused Rikku to shriek loudly and Gippal dropped the drawer he was refilling directly on his foot.

"_Ouch! Dammit!_ What the hell is that noise!?" he shouted.

She shook her head. "I don't know. It sounds like…"

"The airship!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

They bolted from Marin's hut to see Gippal's 'baby' lifting drunkenly into the air. Clearly, whoever was at the throttle knew nothing of handling an airship.

"What the hell?" Gippal murmured. "Hey! That's _my_ ship!" he yelled, grabbing at the air as if that would bring the ship airship back. "Get back here, you ship-stealing bastard!"

"I'm sorry!" a voice boomed from the ship's intercom.

"I know that voice…" Rikku murmured.

"I have to save… _Dona!_" that same voice wailed and the ship shot off towards the horizon.

"Barthello!" Rikku shouted. Of course, he didn't hear her.

Gippal made a frustrated noise, jamming his hands into his hair and pulling back hastily- which made his hair stick out like a pincushion. "That little shit kidnapped my ship! I'll kill him!"

She grabbed his arm. " There's nothing we can do about it now."

He struggled against her grip, which, surprisingly, was stronger than he thought. "Yes there is! We find him and kick his ass!"

She slapped him hard across the face. Whoa! What a thrill! She had wanted to do that for such a long time… She shook her head. Never mind that. "Get a grip on yourself!"

He held his cheek in shock.

"So he took it. We have a bit more important things to worry about right now."

He rubbed his cheek. "You know, that really hurt!" He scowled. "All right, Madam Smartass. How do you propose we're going to get off this damned island once we find out how to operate your powers?"

She made a noise of surprised. She hadn't thought of that one! "Barthello, you get back here!" she bellowed at the empty evening sky.

A man stepped out of his hut. "Quiet! There are sick people in this village! You two are disturbing them!"

Though Rikku doubted that they would have disturbed the plague-ridden villagers, she gave her apologies. Grabbing Gippal's arm again, she pulled him back towards Marin's hut.

"What's going on?" Gippal asked, wrenching his arm free.

"I just remembered that I have my commsphere. We could contact someone and perhaps get a ride out of here." They entered the hut and she went to rifle through her bag. Moments later, she produced the watery blue sphere.

"Give me that." Gippal snatched it from her hands and began to fiddle with it.

"Hey! Give it back, meanie!" She made a swipe for it, but he just placed a hand on her face and pushed her away.

"You keep searching for the answers to your questions. I'm going to contact the Faction to see if any of our airships are ready for flight." He turned his back to her. "Hey Mikkeb! Have I got some news for you! Rikku's gonna have my baby!"

"You wish, you dick!" Rikku shrieked. How could he joke like that?!

He laughed and waved at her. "Finish your search my pet." He looked back down at the sphere. "No, really Mikkeb… We have quite a serious dilemma. You see it seems my baby was stolen."

''''

The moon had risen high in the sky and still the search for the answers to Rikku's dilemma proved fruitless. What made matters worse was the fact that none of the Machine Faction airships would be ready to fly for several weeks- most weren't even finished yet.

"If we could get to Luca, we'd be fine," Rikku murmured listlessly. All this searching was so exhausting! She puffed a strand of hair from her face.

Gippal nodded, tossing aside a stack of papers, disinterested. Then he frowned. "Hey, how did you get from Besaid to Djose they first time?" he asked. "Not by airship obviously."

She shook her head. "I traveled by… _ship!_ We could go by ship!" She jumped to her feet, energy renewed. "I'll go check the dock. I'm sure they have a shipping schedule up."

"I'll go too." Gippal stood, stretching stiffly.

She didn't know why he was set on going, but he hadn't upset her in the last few hours so she nodded. "You could use the exercise," she taunted, flouncing out the door.

"Hey! You just called me fat!" Gippal yelped, following her out.

"Me? I never said any such thing."

"You implied it."

"Well… hmm, you got me there." She smirked.

"You- hey, you admitted it."

They walked through the village in relative silence after that. It was a peaceful night in Kilika. The sly was clear and brilliant with glittering stars, the pier was bathed in silvery moonlight, and the only sounds were the lapping of water and the occasional chirp of crickets and croak of frogs. Rikku thought it would have been a truly romantic night, had Gippal not been the man sharing it with her.

Without conscious will, her mind suddenly pulled up the memory of The Kiss. Oh cripes… She was grateful that it was dark. It artfully hid the scarlet blush she felt heating up her face.

They reached the dock shortly after. It was empty and it seemed as though it'd been that way for some time. "What time is it?" Rikku asked Gippal as she plodded for the small dock office on her right.

"I don't know." He looked up at the moon. "Late… well, obviously."

She snorted and peered at the list of scheduled ship arrivals. "There's a ship coming tomorrow morning at dawn. After that, there isn't one for… a week it looks like. Cripes, we have to get moving." She turned to Gippal. "We _have _to find something before dawn."

He nodded. "Well, kiddo. Let's get cracking. We don't have much time."

''''

An hour had passed when Rikku threw down a book. She had finally resorted to searching Marin's diary and, though she felt horrible for doing so, it provided some interesting information- and not just about her love life. "We need to go to the temple."

Gippal looked up with an expression that clearly read that he thought she was mad. "Now? Right now?"

"No, a year from now. Yes now!" She began to pick up the mess she had made. "In Marin's diary, she mentioned a White Mage master, one who taught her to use her magic. Unfortunately, he's at the temple, so that's where we're going."

"You realize that the temple is infested with New Yevonites. Despite the claim of being 'New', most of them still aren't too keen with Al Bheds running amok like we do now. And I know you don't like being around them either.

"Oh well!" She forced a smile. "I guess I'll have to suck it up. I'm Spira's only hope anyway, remember?" She hooked her daggers onto her belt- just in case- and headed out the door with Gippal on her heels.

In the same general silence that carried them to the docks earlier, they left the village and headed down the path through the woods towards the temple. Rikku was tense. Vicious fiends lived in this forest. Her fingers nervously played over the hilts of her weapons. Though she would never admit it, she was grateful Gippal was with her. She didn't want to go through another episode like the one back in Besaid- running for her life from a few hungry fiends.

Unfortunately, the moonlight only filtered into the forest in a few sparse locations and Rikku and Gippal had to wander the forest blindly.

"We should've stopped to grab a torch or something," Gippal muttered when he tripped over a root and stumbled into Rikku, who, in turn, ran into a tree.

"Well it's too late now. I think we're lost… Wait, is that fire? The temple is up ahead!" And she ran for the burning light.

Gippal followed Rikku for a handful of steps before he stopped short. "Uh… you know, I don't think that is the temple."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder. "Of course it-" She looked forward just in time to jump aside as a fiery pillar burst out of a humongous fanged mouth. Rikku shrieked and fell onto her butt. "Oh cripes, what the hell _is_ that thing!?"

"Something with a death wish, that's what," Gippal said, running up to her. "Come on, get your butt off the ground." He hauled her to her feet.

"What's a thing like that doing here in Kilika?" she moaned as it stared menacingly at the two of them.

"Who knows? Come on- less talk, more fight!" A traditional Al Bhed war cry. And he threw himself into his assault upon the fiend.

Rikku nodded and pulled a small grenade out of her supply pouch. Yanking the pin out with her teeth, she lobbed the grenade at the fiend. "Get out of the way!" she shouted to Gippal.

He did a funny little jig side step just in time, but he couldn't escape the splash of blood that came his way when one of the fiend's four legs was blown away.

"Eww…." Rikku groaned, skittering out of the way of another burst of flame when the fiend roared in agony. Gippal was soaked in sticky red blood.

The fiend bellowed in fury. In response, Rikku sprinted towards it with a dagger in each hand. She took a leap and, using the beast's surprisingly rubbery knee as a springboard, thrust the blades into its leathery chest. It howled, clawing intermittently at the blades in its chest and at her. She leapt off the leg and flailed backwards, avoiding most of the assault. She still suffered a painful gouge in the shoulder.

She backpedaled, uncontrolled, into Gippal.

"You okay?" he asked her, straightening her up.

"Yeah…" She administered a hasty curative spell to the wound.

"Okay, watch my back." Faster than she would've expected, he scrambled up the fiend's spiny back and grabbed the two long horns jutting out over its brow. "Use your strongest ice spell on it!" he shouted over the beast's ear-bursting roars. "Quick, while I have it distracted!"

"But it'll get you too!" Rikku yelped, bouncing frantically on the balls of her feet.

"Oh shut up, that's just a small detail. Just do it, stupid!"

She gritted her teeth as she summoned the ice. "Don't call me stupid!" She threw every ounce of strength and energy she had into the spell and, instead of pummeling the fiend with hail-like balls, ice began to collect thickly around its body. '_What the hell?_' she thought, stunned. She didn't know she had such magical capabilities… But she didn't stop- not until the fiend was entirely encased in ice. Unfortunately, Gippal would suffer the same fate. Ice gathered around the fiend as if it was a magnet and the ice was raw iron… Finally, it was over. Save for Rikku's heavy breathing and the faint crackling of ice, the warm Kilika air was filled with silence. The fiend glittered like a diamond statue- an ugly one, but a statue all the same.

Rikku sank to her knee, trembling. Gippal was dead! She'd killed him! Of course she didn't like him very much, but she never actually wanted him dead!

The crackling grew louder. She looked up worriedly. Was the fiend going to break free? She didn't have the strength to blast it with a second ice spell like that… And the crackling continued to grow.

In a blinding flash of blue-white light, the ice exploded. Rikku flung her arms over her face as she was pummeled by chunks of ice in attempts to protect herself and to refuse to see what she knew would be waiting for her. But where she expected to hear the fiend's embittered roars, there was silence. She lowered her arms tentatively. Gippal was in a broken heap on the ground, surrounded by thousands of glittering pyreflies.

She stumbled to her feet and rushed to his side. "Gippal?" She rolled him over; his skin was ice! "Are you…?"

He opened his eyes slightly and managed a smirk. "Didn't think I could do that," eh said through chattering teeth. Though it was dark, Rikku imagined his lips were blue.

She shook her head and swatted him. "And you call _me_ stupid." With Effort she pulled him to a sitting position. "Shall we continue to the temple now?"

"Hold your chocobos… Let me get the feeling back into my legs. You know, we make quite the life-threatening team."

"You said it," she muttered.

''''

"Why do they make the temples look so imposing?" Rikku murmured. She glanced at Gippal. "Er… maybe you should stay outside."

He arched a brow. "Why?"

She plucked his shirt. It was encrusted with drying fiend's blood. "You look like you're a mad killer."

"That might work against them," Gippal pointed out easily. "You could say you'll sic the Mad Assassin on them if they don't cooperate."

Rikku snickered. "Mad Assassin? Well, you're mad all right." She shook her head. "Oh all right. Come on, Mad Assassin. We don't have much time left." She walked up to the temple guards.

"We're here to see the White Mage master," she said in a loud, clear voice, though she really, truly wanted to run away- the guards had their guns trained on her and Gippal. '_Think of Yunie- she needs your help! So does everyone else!_'

"What business do you have with the White Mage master?" one of the guards grunted.

"It's an emergency. We have to see him right away." She tried to look one of them in the eyes, but their helmets effectively shadowed their faces.

The guards cocked their weapons. "I'll ask again," the one who spoke first spat. "What business do you _Al Bhed_ have with the master?"

"Marin sent us," Gippal piped in impatiently. "She specifically told us to speak with the master and no one else."

The guards appeared to exchange glances. Rikku was certain that they would be shot.

"The door on your right."

Rikku and Gippal blinked. "Huh?"

"Go through the door on the right," the guard repeated slowly, as though he was talking to a toddler. He pointed. "He will see you there."

"Oh right…the right. Come on, Gippal." She seized his sleeve- because she couldn't reach his collar well enough- and pulled him into the empty room. There she sat down stiffly in a chair. She winced when she looked at Gippal- he looked a hundred times worse in the light.

"You don't think this is a trap, do you?" he wondered aloud, poking through the gadgets stored in the room.

Rikku was about to reply when the door squeaked open. Through it came an ancient man dressed in long blue and white robes, with long white hair braided neatly down his back. His face was lined with deep wrinkles- as if they were carved- and he sized the two Al Bhed up for a long time. Then he nodded.

"I've been expecting you."

………..

_cute-kitty2: laughs I'm glad you enjoyed the last fight scene! Despite lack of sphere-changes, I hope you enjoyed this one as well! _

_Fanfic-Lover: Hmm, the Chosen One has a fancy ring to it. But she was more like the wrong person at the right time. Poor kid! _


	9. Chapter 9

**Shadow of Darkness**

**Chapter 9: **

The old man's voice was far more energetic than his aged body suggested.

"You… were expecting us?" Rikku asked warily.

The wrinkled face broke into a bit of a smile. "Well, not _you_ in particular, but a guest I would sense the power within."

"How… did you know?"

The old man slowly walked deeper into the chamber and sat before Rikku and Gippal. "I have close spiritual ties with all my pupils. When they die, I can feel it."

"So then, you know Marin is dead?" Rikku asked.

He nodded.

"But that still doesn't explain how you knew we were coming," Gippal pointed out.

"Ah yes. Before young Marin passed on, I felt a tremendous transfer of power."

"To me," Rikku murmured.

The old man nodded. "To you. You see..." He took a deep breath. "Marin was my post powerful student. She alone could fight the Dark Plague that ravages Spira at this time. I knew that she would not die without leaving someone to carry on her work. Of course, she could not have transferred her power unless the recipient also had traces of the power. That person was you and now you've sought me out. And I… I can teach you how to harness your power so you can use it to your advantage."

"You can teach me?" Rikku tilted her head to the side. "But if you can do that, then that means you must have this power too, right? Then… can't _you_ just defeat the Plague?"

He shook his head. "I may be a master of white magic, but I do not have the sort of power that Marin possessed, that you now possess. I only know how to teach my students how to call upon their powers. I can't use them myself."

"That doesn't make sense," Gippal grumbled.

"Of course it does. I merely understand how this power works, where it comes from, and some of the ways in which it works. You don't need an ability to teach it."

Gippal still didn't look convinced, but he wisely chose not to say anything else.

"How long will it take you to teach me?" Rikku asked worriedly. "We're leaving Kilika in the morning."

The old man shook his head slowly. "You cannot expect to learn how to wield that much power in just a few short hours."

"Well, isn't there a way you can make a super condensed version?" she asked.

"No… I'm afraid that how much you learn tonight- if you really must leave in the morning- is determined by how quickly you learn."

"Hoo boy. We're in trouble," Gippal said.

"I don't need any comments from _you_, meanie," Rikku muttered.

The old man rose to his feet. "Come, we will resume in the chamber of the faith. There is more room there."

Rikku and Gippal followed him out the door, ignoring each other.

"By the way," Rikku said suddenly. "What is your name?"

''''

Deek, as the White Mage master was known, pounded his walking stick on the ground impatiently, startling Rikku so much that she tripped off the platform that she had been standing on, with a squeak.

"You must focus! If you cannot focus, you may as well give up now!" he barked.

"I'm trying!" she whined. "I'm just… so tired!"

"Yeah, give her a break," Gippal piped in. "She's had an exhausting day."

"Enough excuses! You will feel ten times the exhaustion on your journey to vanquish this plague. And by the time you reach the creator, you may hardly be able to lift a finger, but you will persevere. There are too may people counting on you. If you cannot focus because you lack a little sleep, you will _never_ win when you feel physically and mentally drained! You won't stand a chance!" Deek snapped.

Rikku whimpered. She knew he had a point, but did he _really_ have to be so harsh? She was exhausted and covered in sweat and she ached all over. Who knew magic required so much physical exertion?

"Now, get back up there and try again!"

She nodded, wiping the sweat from her forehead. On quacking arms, she hauled herself back onto the platform.

'_Okay…concentrate._' Closing her eyes, she focused her exhausted mind on the pool of bluish light within- the power Marin had transferred to her. Her nose itched. '_No! Focus on the light!_' Focus, Deek had told her, amplified the strength of one's magic. Rikku wondered then if that had been the reason her ice spell had been so effective earlier that evening.

"Good!" she heard Deek shout distantly through the blue-white light that roiled under her concentration. "Now release!"

Rikku dropped the hold she had on the magic and light exploded into the room with a blinding flash. With a gasp, she fell to her knees- as quickly as she had gathered that energy, it left her. She could hardly hold herself up on her trembling arms. Beads of sweat trickled down her spine.

Deek walked over and handed her a glass of water. "You're a fast learner. Your speed is improving, but there is still a lot you must learn. For one, you need to improve our stamina- you may have to release tremendous amounts of energy in quick succession. Your speed at drawing, energizing, and releasing power is still not fast enough- you have to be much quicker. In the time it takes to blink once, you should have released one blast of power and be prepared to release a second."

"What?!" she squawked, choking on a mouthful of water. He was insane! Absolutely mad! It was nearly killing her to draw her magic as quickly as she was now!

Deek lifted a bushy white brow. "I hope you weren't expecting this to be easy. Working this sort of magic is intricate and complex. Mages with the same power train for years before they attain this level of usage." He placed a weathered hand on her shoulder. "But, for as little training as you've had, you're doing exceptionally well," he added.

"But not well enough to be of any use to anyone…" she muttered. "I don't have much longer left before we have to leave."

"Then we shall make the best of the time we have now. You should practice, as well, on your journey." Deek stepped back. "Now try again. Focus on drawing your power more quickly and controlling how and where you release it. You release it willy-nilly. The spell loses strength when it is allowed to scatter."

"What?" Rikku gave him a weary, puzzled sort of look.

He took the glass of water from her. "See this glass? Water is contained within. The glass controls where it goes. Thusly, the water is effective because now you can drink it, measure it… it is at your disposal to use however you need to." He poured the water onto the floor. "Now the water is allowed to go where it pleases. See how it spreads?" He pointed to the puddle. "If you were trying to drink it off the floor, it would be fruitless. The water is allowed to scatter. You must think of your power as water- you want it to be most useful in a specific area, rather than going wherever it pleases. Do you understand now?"

"I… think so." Rikku heaved a sigh. "But how am I supposed to control where the magic goes after I release it?"

"Focus."

She rolled her eyes. Of course. Why hadn't _she_ thought of that? Honestly, was focus the only advice he could offer her!?

"Do not let your hold on your power collapse entirely," he explained. "Imagine the magic heading straight for your target, whether it be a patient or one you will fight." Deek nodded to her. "Now, try again."

''''

Gippal scooped up Rikku's crumpled form from the platform. He made a noise of surprise. She was lighter than he had expected. The hours of magic use had left her looking almost skeletal and soaked in sweat. "Gross…" he muttered.

Deek hobbled over to them. "She did well." He nodded. "You should be proud of her."

"She nearly died, you jerk," he grumbled.

"Nonsense. I would not have let that happen." The White Mage thumped his cane firmly on the ground. "If you will wait here, I'll have a chocobo prepared to take you back to the village." And with that, he left.

Gippal frowned, shifting his weight. Now Rikku was starting to get heavy... Glancing around, he found the chair that Deek had been using- large enough to sit him with Rikku awkwardly on his lap. He staggered over and sat. He glanced at Rikku as her head flopped limply onto his shoulder.

"You're crazy, you know that?" And he really thought she was too- wielding all that magic. He watched her summon her magic; her entire body had glowed with it. It'd freaked him out. How could this little body of hers house that much power? Each time she had exercised that power, he had been certain that _that_ would be the time the magic consumed her and she would burst into pyreflies.

"Nng…"

He looked down. Rikku scrunched her brow and slowly, she opened her eyes. "You awake?" he asked.

"Obviously," she replied, though it took quite a struggle.

He rolled his eyes. "Even half-dead, your personality is _so_ delightful," he said with a touch of sarcasm. But he was relieved. She would be fine. He wouldn't have to make any excuses to Cid and Brother when they hunted him down… "How do you feel?"

"Like a pregnant shoopuf stomped on me. Repeatedly," she croaked.

"Sounds fun."

"Only you would think so." But she managed a smile.

"You reek, by the way. You were covered in sweat."

"Oh shut up. You're covered in blood. That's totally disgusting."

"Oh yeah… What, so you think that makes us equal?"

She was about to retort when Deek walked back in. "Your chocobo is ready. Ah, Rikku. You're awake. I've provided you with a chocobo to take you to town. From there you will go to Luca. I want you to find a man named Effram. If persuaded, he can coach you on the finer details on the use of your power."

"Effram," Rikku echoed.

Deek nodded. "Now hurry. The ship should have reached dock by now."

Gippal glanced at Rikku. "I'll carry you piggy-back out there."

"No, I'll be-"

"Fine," he finished for her. "I know." He moved out from under her and put his back to her. "Climb up or I'm leaving you here."

"She sighed but, lacking the energy to bicker, climbed on his back. "If you drop me, I'm going to choke you," she told him as she wrapped her arms firmly around his neck, dropping her head on to his shoulder.

He sniggered. "If you have the strength."

"Oh, just shrivel up and die, would you?" she grumbled as he carried her out of the temple.

"Right now? Are you sure?" Falling from this height, you could get hurt."

"Oh, get over yourself. You're not _that_ tall."

"Cant to test the theory?" He grinned evilly.

"Don't you dare!" she screeched, clinging to his neck when he heaved her slightly into the air.

He gagged. "Boy, you really will choke me…"

"Of course I will. You thought I was joking?"

They reached the chocobo and its attendant. The attendant didn't look too happy to be there.

Gippal offered him a congenial smile. "Hey, do you think you could get the lady off my back and help her onto the big bird? She's a bit weak."

The man gave him a horrified look, as if he had been asked to bathe in raw sewage.

Rikku caught the man's expression and frowned. "See, I told you," she said in a not-so-quite tone. "They'd rather not sully their precious New Yevonite hands by touching a filthy Al Bhed."

The attendant flushed. Roughly, he hauled Rikku off Gippal's back.

"Ow! Watch it, that hurt!" she yelped.

Gippal gave the attendant a dirty look. "Help me get her on the chocobo," he said, abandoning all pretenses for politeness.

"This is so embarrassing," Rikku murmured to him, with a face so red it would put a beet to shame.

"Don't worry about it," he said, puling her leg over the chocobo. "Frankly, I'm surprised you aren't dead. That guy worked your ass off." He climbed up behind her and grabbed the reins. Then he glanced down at the attendant. "Syo ouin bnaleuic Yevon cdnega oui fedr rasunnruetc, cajana teynnray, yht yh ykknacceja mujan hysat Junga _::May your precious Yevon strike you with hemorrhoids, severe diarrhea, and an aggressive lover named Junga.::_" He mocked the Yevonite bow of prayer while Rikku laughed hysterically. The attendant eyed them suspiciously.

Gippal turned forward and spurred the chocobo on. "Now I suppose is the perfect fairytale ending- the bratty Al Bhed princess rides off into the sunset with her handsome, rogue rescuer."

"Except you have it all backwards. It's sunrise, dummy." She turned back and waved at Deek, who'd come out to see them off.

Deek waved in return and then turned to the chocobo attendant, handing him a swatch of toilet paper. "Extra soft."

"What?"

"Trust me, you'll need it."

''''

"Can you walk?" Gippal asked Rikku, helping her down off the chocobo's back and handing its reins to the attendant waiting on Kilika's main dock.

She nodded. "Well, I should be able to anyway. Let me lean on you."

"Even though I'm covered in dried blood?"

"I'm covered in dried sweat. I just want to get on that ship and take a nice long, hot bath," she replied with a sigh.

Gippal led her over to the ticket booth. "Two tickets for a passage to Luca please."

The ticket master gave them both a once over. "And just what have you been into?"

"Mud wrestling," he replied seriously.

Rikku groaned. "Can't you ever be serious?"

"I am being serious."

"Okay, honest then! Yeesh, who is going to buy mud wrestling? You're the only obviously dirty one!"

"_She_ might buy it." Then he realized the woman was still standing right there. "Opps… hi. Anyway, honestly, we had a run in with a fiend harboring some grudge, but we took care of it, no problem. So that right there is work the price of passage, don't you think?"

And Rikku had to agree. By defeating the fiend, they prevented potential deaths of innocent travelers! "We're heroes."

The ticket master did not look impressed. "Uh huh. 400 gil please."

"Yeesh… no respect for the hero these days," Gippal complained as she shelled out the proper gil. He and Rikku grabbed their tickets and boarded the ship, ignoring the stares of other passengers. "Our rooms are below deck.

"Room_s_?" she said hopefully, stressing the plurality.

"Yeah. Unless you want me bad and just have to share a room with me." His eyebrows waggled mischievously. "We could even take a bath together."

She scoffed. "Not even in your dreams!"

He smirked. "Okay… what about yours?"

Rikku flushed and stomped hard on his food. "Nor mine!"

"Hey, watch were you stomp!" Gippal yelped, shaking out the pain in his foot. But he snickered anyway.

Slowly, the headed down the stairs to the guest area. Gippal stopped in front of one door and opened it. "This is your room. I'll be next door if you need me."

"Like that'll happen." Then she frowned. "Er… Thanks… Gippal."

"Eh, it was nothing."

She waited for a moment. "What? No witty remark?"

With a shrug, he replied, "Maybe when you're feeling better, I'll tell you what I _really_ thought." He snickered and headed to his own room.

Rikku shook her head and entered her room, closing the door quietly behind her. She'd fuss with him later. There was a long bath that called her name and, after one whiff of rank body odor, she couldn't resist it.

………..

_kingleby: Well, suspense keeps my lovely readers coming back for more! And just you wait… if all goes according to plan… it will get more insane! Whether that's good or not…grin_

_Cerulean Abyss: Thank you so much for your compliments! I hope these updates will keep coming too. (And I really like your name too!)_

_Fanfic-Lover: I'm glad you enjoyed the second fight scene! It was rather fun to write- particularly Gippal getting frozen. I hope you keep enjoying the story. _

_perfect-stranger: I'm glad you found (and enjoyed!) Shadow of Darkness! I hope you continue to enjoy it._


	10. Chapter 10

**Shadow of Darkness**

_Huzzah! You made it to Chapter 10! (I made it to Chapter 10- what a shock!) I'd like to say huge thank you to all my readers! _

**Chapter 10:**

Rikku relaxed in a tub of hot water, up to her chin in fragrant, pink-tinged bubbles. Her long blond hair hung over the edge of the tub, drip-drying on a towel below. Every last one of her tired muscles had succumbed to the hot water. She was totally and completely relaxed. She could almost… fall… asleep…

''''

"Yunie! Let's play chicken! The guys already agreed," Rikku said, riding around proudly on Gippal's shoulders. The sun was bright, the sky was a beautiful clear blue, the ocean water was calm, and the bleached sand on the beach was deliciously warm. It was perfect.

Yuna laughed at her cousin. "How do you play?"

"Climb on Tidus' shoulders. Then we push each other to see who falls off first. Come on! It's a whole lot of fun!"

"Well it _does_ sound fun."

"It is, it is!"

"All right…" Yuna blushed as Tidus helped her onto his shoulders.

Rikku giggled. "Oh come on, don't be so shy Yunie."

"I'm not…" But her blush brightened when Tidus grabbed a hold on her legs to keep her steady.

"Again, Rikku giggled. "Okay… ready to play?"

"We just knock each other off, right?" Yuna asked.

She nodded. "Yup. Ready? Set? Go!"

Gippal and Tidus charged towards each other, screaming war cries and splashing water everywhere. The girls locked arms. It was quite a power struggle- Yuna was a lot stronger than she looked! Rikku grinned. Well, so was she! And she would not go down without a fight. She pushed and her cousin pushed back. It was like a dance. Rikku almost laughed at the thought- quite an aggressive dance.

It was with this thought that Rikku lost her focus. Yuna used this to her advantage. Grabbing her cousin's shoulders, she hauled the blond off of Gippal.

Rikku's eyes flew open wide as she fell towards the water. Overhead, the sky suddenly roiled with sinister black clouds. Thunder clapped. A flash of lightening struck in the distance, lighting the entire sky with an eerie glow. She gave a startled cry. Her fall was agonizingly slow. The water seemed to draw further and further away. She knew that when she hit it, the force would break a bone if she could be so lucky.

"Rikku!" called a familiar, distant voice. She couldn't respond, paralyzed.

Just then, time seemed to regain its normal flow and she slid into the water almost lazily, without a single splash. Down she sank beneath the water. She tried to swim to the surface but her arms and legs would give nothing more than a half-hearted wiggle. Muffled through the water, she heard the roll of thunder and that voice calling her name. Who was it?

She panicked. Thunder- the storm! If lightening struck the water, she'd be dead! She tried again to swim. No, no, no! She did not want to die here! She hated lightening- _move dammit!_ Her lungs burned for air. Without thinking, she opened her mouth to inhale and got a lungful of water instead. She gagged. Violently, her legs kicked off something hard- a rock, perhaps- and she shot for the surface. Her eyes were greeted by mountains of pink-white foam.

Rikku took a huge gulp of hair and began to cough. It took her a moment to realize she was still in the bathtub. The door of the bathroom burst open.

"Rikku!" It was Gippal. His face was wrought with fear.

She whimpered and threw up the water she had inhaled.

"Oh shit…" He hurried over. Rikku's face was ashen and she trembled all over. "What happened?"

"I… and Yunie… chicken… lightening…" She broke out into a weak sob, leaning against the tub. "I was drowning. Gippal, I'm sorry."

He sat near the edge of the tub and pushed her soaked, tangled hair from her face. "What are you sorry for?"

"I'm so stupid. You're not supposed to fall asleep in the tub. I know that. And still I…" Tears left glittering trails down her cheeks.  
"Hey, don't blame yourself. You were exhausted." He gave her head an awkward pat. "Er… anyway. I came to tell you that we'll be arriving in Luca in about ten minutes." He stood hastily and left the bathroom.

Rikku sniffled and sat up. That was odd… Then she glanced down and blushed brilliantly. The bath foam just barely covered her. '_Oh man… he nearly saw it all. _Again!'

''''

It was raining so hard that it seemed all the waters in Spira were dumping onto Luca, and Rikku and Gippal were caught in the middle of it.

"So much for taking a bath- here we get a free shower," Gippal grunted. His hair was plastered flat on his head. Rikku would have laughed at him, had she been certain she didn't look the same.

"It's freezing!" She motioned to the information desk. "Let's just find Effram… quickly." She grabbed Gippal's shirt and pulled him beneath the sheltered desk. "Excuse me, can you tell me where we might find a person named Effram?"

A high-strung young man- probably not much older than Rikku herself- turned to them. "He's the owner of the Electric Element. It's in the town square." He twitched violently. "You're not sick too, are you?" he squeaked. "If you do, get away from me!"

"Uh… no… just friends," Gippal replied, giving him a weird look. He grabbed Rikku's hand. "Let's go." The moment they were out of hearing range- which wasn't too far, considering the noise of the storm- he shook his head. "Everyone is in a panic about this Dark Plague. It's getting ridiculous."

Rikku frowned, shoving her soaked hair out of her eyes. It was futile for the rain just pushed it back in place. "No, it's not. This thing makes people go crazy. Imagine your loved one trying to kill you." She hugged her arms to her chest and shivered, not just from the chill of the rain. "You just haven't seen anyone with it. It's really scary…"

"Oh fine. Whatever. You make a valid point."

They entered the town square- or circle, if you will- of Luca.

"What do you think the Electric Element is?" Rikku pondered aloud.

Gippal shrugged. "Sounds like a pub to me."

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Hmm… you think so?"

He nodded to a building across from them. "I'd say that that place is it too."

They moved closer to the building and, sure enough, a wooden sign with Electric Element carved on it swing over the entrance. It was brightly painted and lightening bolts jutted out from either side of the sign.

"Rustic," Rikku mused.

"You think that with a name like Electric Element, it'd be… well, electric."

She studied the pub entrance for a moment. "I think this is where I stopped when I first started looking for Marin."

"Rikku, I'm ashamed of you, resorting to alcoholism at your age. Gorging on Luca's finest, eh?"

"Oh shut up! I'm not you!"

""Hey, I got drunk once! Or maybe twice… but that doesn't make me an alcoholic!"

She ignored him and went into the pub. It was empty, but then most pubs would be at that hour of the morning. She headed for the bar and glanced around. No one. "Anyone here?

Gippal came up next to her. "Anybody?"

Still there was no answer. She shook her head. "Well, I guess no one-"

A door behind the counter, previously unnoticed as it blended into the wall, swung open and a man- the one Rikku recognized who told her Marin had passed through Luca- emerged. "What?" he asked gruffly.

"Er… hello. We're… looking for the owner of this place. A man named Effram. Do you know him?"

"I know his name." He eyed them for a long while. Then he turned his back to them. "Effram is dead."

"Dead?!" Rikku wailed, sinking to her knees. He was kidding, right?

The man turned back to them and leaned over the counter. What did you want with him anyway?"

"Master Deek sent us…" she replied.

"Deek?" The man looked troubled.

Gippal stepped forward. "Yeah. You're looking at Spira's last hope." He gestured to Rikku, who was still on the ground.

"What happened to Marin?"

Rikku finally climbed to her feet. "She- she died. Somehow she gave me what remained of her powers. We went to Deek and then he sent us to find Effram to help me train. Are you sure he's dead?" she asked desperately.

"Of course I'm sure," the bartender grunted. "You can't get any deader than he is."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Gippal asked impatiently.

He shook his head. "Nothing. You can't bring the dead back to life. Now excuse me, I have work to do." And he disappeared behind the door.

Rikku frowned. "What are we going to do?"

"Keep going. All you can do is practice. You'll learn it." Gippal shrugged. "Come on, let's go. We're wasting daylight."

Rikku glanced back at the bar. "He seemed so much nicer the last time I saw him."

"Maybe a family member got sick. Or perhaps he's sick himself."

"Maybe…"

Behind the stockroom doors, the bartender sat at a desk with his hands buried in his thick blond hair. He sighed. "Effram…"

''''

Rikku stared at the muddy way through the Mi'ihen Highroad, stretching as far as the eye could see… which wasn't far at all because the storm caused nightmarishly poor visibility. Neither hover nor chocobo was in sight.

"Ah, poopie…" she moaned.

"What?" Gippal asked.

"We have to walk it… in this rain."

"We could always stay at an inn."

"No way! You said it before that we were wasting daylight. The longer we take, the more people will get the Plague. And maybe even die."

He knocked her head with his fist. "But what good could you do if you got sick and died walking around in this ice cold rain?"

"Owwie! That hurt!" So she punched his arm in return. "We'll stop and Rin's Travel Agency down the Road if we have to." She glanced down at the road again. "Come on, before I change my mind." She grabbed his arm and pulled him down the muddy path.

"Hey, stop pulling!"

Neither of them noticed the dark figure, obscured by the rain, trailing them.

''''

Squelch. Squelch, squelch. This was the sound of footsteps in the mud. Rikku and Gippal's footsteps, to be exact. Rikku did not like the sound. It reminded her of the time she stepped in shoopuf droppings. Big, smelly droppings. She blanched. No, that was just disgusting. Her calves ached- walking through this mud took more effort than she'd originally thought.

Squelch, squelch, squelch. They walked in silence. The steady sound of mud sucking beneath their feet was broken by a very heavy sounding squish. A low growl came from the bushes on their left.

"Oh shit," Gippal muttered, taking a step back.

A huge tiger-like fiend leapt at them. Rikku squeaked. Not another fiend! Hastily, she grabbed her daggers. It would be _so_ sorry it messed with her! It gathered power in its haunches and launched itself at them- only to be thrown aside mid-leap. It crumpled to the ground, motionless. An arrow protruded from its side.

"What the…" Gippal murmured as the fiend faded into a swarm of pyreflies.

There was the sound of squelching footsteps behind them. They turned to see a shadowy figure approaching them.

"Who are you?" Rikku demanded.

"I am Effram." A figure in a cloak stood before them, wielding a crossbow. "And I think you owe me your thanks. I just saved your life."

"But… you're dead! Oh man, don't tell me this is another Yevon conspiracy!" Rikku groaned.

"It's not a conspiracy." The figure drew back his hood far enough so they could see his face.

"Oh cripes… you're the bartender!" she gasped.

"I guess I am."

Gippal frowned and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "But you told us Effram was dead."

"I lied."

"Well, no. I didn't figure _that_ at _all_."

Rikku frowned as well. "Why did you lie?"

"I haven't gone by Effram in years. Only a few people know me by that handle, and most I don't trust. I had no reason to tell you the truth."

"Then why'd you come after us?" Gippal demanded. More and more he did not like this Effram guy.

"Well, you told me yourself that Master Deek sent you."

"Why didn't you say so when we told you then?! Why bother lying about it?" he exploded.

"Well, I didn't trust you. I have many enemies, you know. I had to think about it… and confirm it."

"He has a good point," Rikku pointed out to Gippal.

"Yeah, but I still think it's fishy," he grumbled.

She shoved Gippal back. "You big baby." And then she turned to Effram. "Thanks for taking care of that fiend. If you hadn't, we'd probably be cat chow right about now."

Effram lowered his crossbow and nodded slowly. "Of course." He released the catch on the bow and slid it carefully into a specially crafted holster at his hip. "Now, tell me what has happened, starting with Marin's death."

''''

The storm showed no signs of letting up when the trio finally reached Rin's Travel Agency, conveniently placed at Mi'ihen Highroad's halfway mark.

"We should rest here. This rain isn't going to let up any time soon," Effram said to Rikku and Gippal. "We can use this down time to continue Master Deek's lessons."

Rikku wrinkled her nose. "I suppose you're right." But she wasn't happy. This story took precious hours away from her journey.

As bedraggled as a trio of waterlogged chocobos, the party entered the Travel Agency.

"Nuus vun drnaa. _::Room for three::_" Gippal told the attendant, wringing out the hem of his shirt.

She gave him a distasteful look as he, Rikku, and Effram dripped water all over the polished wood floor.

"Y mynka nuus, ev oui ryja uha yjyemypma. _::A large room, if you have one available::_," Effram added.

Rikku glanced up at him in surprise. For the first time, she noticed the spiral mark of the Al Bhed in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were Al Bhed?" she squeaked.

"Why didn't you ask? Anyway, I thought the pattern on my eyes was a dead giveaway," He pointed out, snatching the key card from Gippal.

Gippal made a face at the back of Effram's head. "Just how many other things is he keeping from us?" he muttered to Rikku.

"Oh hush, it's no big deal."

"Yes it is!"

But Rikku simple elbowed him to silence any further protests and walked ahead to catch up with Effram. "Are you going to teach me then? Today?"

He nodded. "Let's dry off first thought. We don't really want to get sick, do we?"

She nodded and followed him into the room. Gippal brought up the rear, muttering under his breath in frustration. He didn't like Effram, the way he attached himself to Rikku like that. Had Cid been around, he would be in a fit and probably take Gippal's head as a souvenir!

Rikku claimed the bathroom and changed hastily, humming under her breath. Effram was far friendlier than Gippal ever bothered to be, even though he was much older.

There was the sound of grumbling in the room beyond the door. Was that her name she heard? She frowned and pressed her ear to the door. Yes… there it was again. They were talking about her! She made a face. How rude! She wouldn't put it past Gippal to say horrible things about her. She gave a determined stomp. She was going to put a stop to this! Quickly, she hauled the door open. The sight she was greeted with nearly sent her into shock. Gippal had Effram lifted by his shirt and locked in a burning glare.

"Gippal, what the hell are you doing to him!?"

"Huh?" He dropped Effram suddenly and looked sheepish. "Just a friendly chat, eh Effram?"

He rubbed his neck and smiled. "Yeah."

Rikku narrowed her eyes. "Right," she muttered in disbelief. She crossed the room and gave Gippal a once over. He smiled innocently and reached over to pat her head. In a mature fashion, she stuck her tongue out at him in return. Then, reaching over, she helped Effram to his feet. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Effram laughed a bit, dusting off his pants. "Like he could."

"You make a good point."

Gippal growled under his breath.

"So, Rikku, are you ready to learn?"

She held her arms open and nodded. "Teach me."

With a frown, Gippal sat on the edge of his bed, watching as the two of them talked and laughed. '_She's not_ that_ interesting…_'

"Hey you, enough sulking!"

"Huh?" Suddenly, a blast of white knocked him end over end- and straight off the bed with a yelp.

Rikku burst into laughter. "Look, Effram! I did it! Yippee!"

Notably, Gippal was not as amused.

………..

_Oh my goodness, how exciting! So many reviews for Chapter 9! eek! I'm so glad you all like it! _

_kingleby: What's in Rikku's dreams hmm? She wouldn't tell me! But I do imagine it is not an aggressive lover named Junga. -_

_Cerulean Abyss: Well, here it is! What's next! I hope you enjoyed it (And yes! Fabulous name! grin)_

_Cute-kitty: Hahah, I'm glad you loved Gippal's curse! I liked it too. _

_Fanfic-Lover: What a smart cookie! You guessed right about Effram's lineage! 10 chocobo feathers for you!_

_Angry Girl: I'm so flattered that you found my story and enjoyed it so much! _

_perfect-stranger: Oh no! Not the Pointer Finger of Despair! Well, you're in luck! Just as you reviewed, I finished up Chapter 10!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Shadow of Darkness**

_Huzzah! You made it to Chapter 10! (I made it to Chapter 10- what a shock!) I'd like to say huge thank you to all my readers! _

**Chapter 11:**

It was dawn when the party left the Travel Agency. Gippal suppressed a sleepy yawn. And, like dead weight, Rikku was draped over his shoulder, fast asleep. How unfair was that? He glared at the back of Effram's head.

"Tell me why I have to carry her again?"

"Because I'm carrying the supplies. _And_ she'd exhausted from last night's training. But, if it's any consolation, she should wake up and be able to walk on her own… oh, this afternoon, I'd reckon."

"_Afternoon_!?" he sputtered. "Are you out of your freaking _mind_?! It may not look like it, but she can weigh a _lot_ after awhile!"

"If you're going to complain, let's trade then," Effram offered easily, glancing back over his shoulder.

Gippal clenched his jaw. '_Damn bastard…_' "I'll be fine."

Effram smiled and walked on ahead.

By midmorning they reached the entrance to Mushroom Rock Road. The older Al Bhed had been wrong- Rikku had awoken by that time. Unfortunately, Gippal found himself _still_ carrying her, as she claimed she was still too weak to walk. He almost decided to drop her, just to see whether or not she was faking it for the attention, but at the last minute decided otherwise. Effram kept looking at him with an amused gleam in his eyes. Gippal did _not_ want to provide the man with any more intrusive questions about just what he thought of Rikku.

Speaking of which… Rikku sighed loudly right in his ear. Her chin was resting on his shoulder so she too could see where they were going. Her blond hair kept tickling Gippal's cheek incessantly.

"What are you sighing about?" he grunted, scrunching up his face in a futile attempt to scratch his cheek.

"Just about how dull this road is getting?"

"Well, I'm sorry they didn't hear the decree to make Mi'ihen Highroad amusing just for you."

"That's not what I meant!" she said grouchily. "This! I meant… I meant this!" She gestured at her surroundings. "Do you _know_ how many times I've traveled this stupid road since Yuna became a summoner two years ago? Besaid to Zanarkand, always that order. And let me tell you, the scenery hasn't changed much."

"Sorry I asked," he grumbled.

Effram motioned for Gippal to set Rikku down. "We'll rest here," he said, sitting down as well. He then turned to Rikku. "I heard you talking. So, you think this plague originates in Zanarkand?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It probably does. Everything else comes from there, it seems… It's the Dead City, isn't it?"

"Then we'll go straight there," Gippal said logically. "Once we manage to procure another airship, that is."

"I thought you said that Mikkeb told you there weren't any airships available?"

He grinned. "Not when we were in Kilika. But by the time we _get_ to Djose, there might be."

"In two days?" she asked skeptically.

Gippal gave her a cocky look. "What can I say? Faction members work quick."

Rikku rolled her eyes.

"Do you have a suspect?" Effram asked.

She nodded, yelping when Gippal elbowed her sharply. "Ow! _Meanie! _Yes, Effram, we _do_ have a suspect," she continued defiantly. "I believe that it is Maester Seymour."

"But isn't he dead?" Effram asked, arching a brow slightly.

"Exactly what _I_ said!" Gippal said.

Rikku narrowed her eyes at him. "_And_ I gave you a perfectly good reason why it _has_ to be him! Death and a thousand years didn't stop Shuyin from trying to unleash Vegnagun onto Spira! So why would death and just a few years stop Seymour? I'm right! I _know_ I am!" she insisted. "Seymour had it in for Spira from the beginning!"

"Well, you make a good point," Effram said, stroking his chin. "Hmm… why don't we check out Seymour's old hometown- Guadosalam- too? Being Guado, it's likely he has spiritual attachments to the place, whether he liked it or not."

"Ooh, that's a really good idea."

"It's settled then. Guadosalam and then Zanarkand." Effram passed around a canteen of water. "We'll set out in a few minutes. Do you think you will be able to walk, Rikku?"

Thoughtfully, she flexed her feet and wiggled them a bit. She nodded. "I should be okay. I'm sure Gippal won't object to carrying me if I have any problems, eh?" She nudged him with her elbow.

"Right. No objections at all. After all, my life is centered around servicing you, your _highness_."

She made a face at him. "Not funny. What have I told you about calming me things like that!?"

"I don't remember, your majesty. Ah, never you mind! Shall I fluff your pillow? Massage your feet? Feed you bite-sized biscuits with my toes?"

"How about shutting your big fat mouth?"

"Majesty?" echoed Effram.

"Yep, this is her Al Bhed Royal Pain-in-the-Ass. Or princess. Take your pick," Gippal said gleefully, accentuating the comment with a triumphant smirk.

Rikku crammed her elbow sharply into his rib. "He's just being an idiot, as usual."

"Damn!" Gippal gripped his side. "What is _up_ with your knifelike elbows?!"

Effram laughed heartily. "Ought I call you Princess Rikku, now?" he asked teasingly.

"Not you too!" she wailed. "I thought you were on _my_ side!"

Both men burst into peals of laughter. Rikku pouted for a minute but their laughter was infectious. A giggle escaped her lips in a loud squeak. Gippal and Effram looked at one another and laughed even harder.

Rikku had to look away in attempt to hide her own laughter, but her shoulders quaked with suppressed giggles. It took several minutes for her to finally regain her composure to say, "That wasn't funny. Come on… we have to go, anyway." She stood on shaky legs and tried to give them a stern look.

Sniggering, they stood as well. "After you, your highness," Gippal said with a grand gesture.

Rikku muttered something foul and unrepeatable in Al Bhed under her breath and walked ahead.

"We should probably stop by the Youth League Headquarters to see how they're doing," Gippal pointed out. "If any of them have the Plague, you could probably help them, right?"

Effram nodded in agreement. "You have the ability to heal probably two or three people before you start losing control of your powers. It would be good practice. What do you say?"

"What _can_ I say?" Rikku frowned. "Are you really sure this is a good idea? Do you think I can do it?"

"I think you can. But what I think doesn't count. All that matters is whether or not you believe in _yourself_."

"Oh, how inspirational."

"You got that right," Gippal said with a smirk. "Perhaps you should consider a career in motivational speaking, dear Effram."

Effram cuffed his head. "Come on, let's go! We're wasting daylight."

''''

Rikku stared down at the limp form of Youth League Meyvn Nooj. His lover, ex-sphere hunter and rival to the Gullwings, hovered over him possessively.

"So, Leblanc. When did Nooj get sick?" she asked.

"Last night," the woman replied, straightening. "Nooji-wooji and I were about to- ahem- engage in private matters when he became more aggressive than usual."

Rikku turned a sickly shade of green. Oh yeah, that was nice to know… Behind her, Gippal snorted with repressed laughter. That was a boy for you- hint at sex and he'd be reduced to uncontrollable laughter. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the mental image Leblanc gave her. Nasty! She was certain she would have nightmares for at least a week.

"Anyway, Ormi and Logos were doing their job as my bodyguards." Leblanc carefully adjusted her outfit and continued. "They subdued my Nooji-wooji, but he's been this way ever since." She gave Rikku a skeptical once over. "Do you _really_ think that _you_ can help him?"

Rikku narrowed her eyes. "Move aside, Leblanc." She pushed the older woman out of her way. Honestly! She was going to have a good long talk with that woman one of these days.

She placed a trembling hand on Nooj's icy forehead and bit back a shriek. When she touched him, she saw the dark aura boiling around him, shrouding even his face. He had a terrible case of the Plague. The worst she'd seen yet, except perhaps in Tidus' case…

"What is it? Leblanc demanded impatiently. Her voice was shrill and thin from anxiety. "Why aren't you doing anything? Do you want my Nooji-wooji to _die!?_"

"Shut up, Leblanc! If you keep talking I won't be able to concentrate!" Rikku snapped, giving her a fierce look. '_Honestly, she can be such an old bat sometimes!_' She turned back to Nooj, attempting to concentrate once more. '_Okay, just forget that he looks like he's been absorbed by some great black void. Forget that you've just learned this and never tried it out and just _might_ turn his insides into jelly… Oh crap, I might end up doing that!_' She gulped and closed her eyes. '_Focus Rikku. You can do it!_'

She concentrated hard on the feeling of power that flowed through her veins. It was slow work at first because she kept letting herself get distracted, but she kept at it. Several minutes later, she felt she had gathered a sufficient amount of magic. Then, drawing on what Effram had taught her the night before, she guided the power through her fingertips and into Nooj's skin. As she forced the white aura through the dark fog and into him, she felt his skin growing warmer. She dared to take a peek. Before her eyes, the inky blackness surrounding Nooj was dissolving. '_I'm doing it!_' Just a little bit more.

Rikku pulled her hands from Nooj's forehead and stumbled back a step or two. Her audience waited with bated breath. Nooj's finger twitched.

"Oh Nooji-_wooji!_' Leblanc trilled, flinging herself at him.

He groaned as she fell onto him. "Easy… easy," he croaked.

"You did it!" Effram said, giving Rikku a squeeze.

"I… I did, didn't I?"

"Well… I'm proud of you, kiddo," Gippal said gruffly, reaching out and ruffling her hair.

She managed a smile. "Can I sit now?" Clinging to Effram's arm was the only thing keeping her on her feet.

"Oh! Right." Effram scooped her up and carried her- and all her blushing glory- to a nearby couch. But she didn't have time to think on that, thank goodness. Nooj was sitting up now, using Leblanc for support as she fawned over him.

Gippal approached him. "Long time no see, Nooji-wooji," he teased. "You realize you're the first person that we know of to survive the Dark Plague. Tell me, how do you feel?" He had a pen in hand and shoved it in Nooj's face as if it was a microphone.

Nooj rolled his eyes. "Like a shoopuf chewed me up, spat me out, stomped on me, and ground me into the dirt for good measure," was his gruff reply.

"Not bad, I see."

Again, he rolled his eyes, shifting his weight. "My, Gippal. Get any more serious and you're going to turn into an old man. So… What happened?"

"That's just it. We don't know," Rikku piped in.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean what do I mean? I mean we don't know! We know about as much as you do about the Plague. You probably know more because you've had it. So, what exactly happened when you… caught it, I guess you'd say?"

He frowned thoughtfully and was quiet for a long time. "I'm not sure… I felt as though there was someone in my head. Much like when that Shuyin bastard possessed me."

"So Marin was right," Gippal murmured. "It's a type of possession."

Effram sat down across from Nooj, looking quite serious. "Go on. Tell us anything else you might remember."

"Well, there's not much to go on about. I mean, I remember all this hate and rage filling me. And a voice, telling me that Spira had to fall. And…" He looked disconcerted. "And I agreed with it."

" Spira had to fall? Nooj! This voice, did it sound like Maester Seymour?" Rikku asked eagerly.

"Rikku! Knock it off about Seymour!" Gippal shouted.

"No!" How dare he yell at her like that!

Nooj eyed them both. "Anyway, the voice didn't sound familiar, but I haven't heard Maester Seymour in over two years, considering he's had the most unfortunate condition of being dead all that time."

Rikku frowned. Maester Seymour's voice was one you'd remember forever. It was placid and smooth and all together creepy. '_Maybe Gippal was …_' She twitched. '_Maybe he was…_' She twitched again. Clearly, her body was going to have quite the physical reaction to admitting the possibility that Gippal was correct. She shook her head. Forget that for now. All that mattered presently was getting information out of Nooj.

"When did you first notice things were a bit odd?" Effram asked.

Nooj took his time to think about it. "I think… I believe it was after I had gone for a visit to the Den of Woe."

Rikku and Gippal exchanged grim glances. They both had terrible memories of that aptly named cavern.

"Den of Woe?" Effram looked puzzled.

"The cave where the Crimson Squad exercises utterly failed," Gippal said in a strained voice.

"Shuyin… who was the ghost, I guess you'd call him, that occupied the den below Mushroom Rock for a thousand years or more," Nooj explained when it appeared Effram still didn't understand. "He possessed the members of the Crimson Squad and turned us against each other. Gippal, Praetor Baralai, our recorder Paine, and I were the only survivors."

"And he possessed Paine and me and turned us against Yunie!" Rikku added with a shiver. "He's the one who wanted to destroy Spira with that ultra-whatever weapon Vegnagun."

Effram frowned. "Maybe our answers are there. We should go check it out as soon as possible."

She stared at him like he had grown a second head. "No. No, no, no! I'm not going back there and you can't make me!"

"I don't want to go either but…" Gippal took a deep breath. "Unfortunately, Effram made a really good point. We should at least check it out…"

Rikku gaped at the two of them. "You- you're crazy. The both of you are crazy!"

The two men stood.

"Be careful, you three," Nooj warned.

"Three? Ohh, no, not three! Not three, because I am _not_ going!" Rikku protested.

Effram and Gippal exchanged glances. "You grab her arms, I'll grab her ankles." They seized the proper appendages and carried her amidst the screaming off the chair.

"Let me go! Let go! I won't go and you can't make me!" she shrieked as they carried her towards the exit.

"Looks like they can," Leblanc mused as they disappeared out the door.

''''

Rikku stood before the entrance to the Den of Woe, knees quaking and hands clutched to her chest. Okay, she wasn't standing, she was cowering! "Can't we rethink this? Guys? I can't go in there again!" The two men had finally set her down.

"Of course you can go. I'm going," Gippal replied. "And I have worse memories of this place than you do!"

"No you don't. I tried to kill Yuna!"

"Yes I did! I saw a dozen or so people uncontrollably massacre each other!"

"What are you two bickering about?" Effram demanded. "Let's go already!"

"We shouldn't be going there!" Rikku squawked. "That place is freaky! I won't go. I won't, I won't, I won't!"

Gippal seized Rikku's arm and hauled her into the Den. "Quit your bellyaching and come on!"

There was a shriek from within- Rikku's. "But I don't wanna!" Despite what she wanted, however, in she went.

Effram shook his head with a snort and followed close behind, glancing back once. Something was odd…

………..

_Oh wow! The number of reviews for Chapter 10 (So far my favorite) were incredible! Thank you all so much! I'm so flattered you like it!_

_anonymous reviewer: It's been right under your nose all this time! - But thank you so much for your comments. They made my day!_

_Black-Eyed Mistress: Thank you so much! A review for every chapter, I'm flattered you liked it so much! _

_PerfectStranger: laughs Yes, indeed, the Pointer Finger of Despair was too much! And! An update- not as soon as I had wanted but… I hope you continue to enjoy SOD! _

_Angry Girl: Thank you! I love to inspire laughs _

_Jen: Thank you for the incredible review! It always surprises me when a reader gets hooked from the start. Thanks for reading this far and I hope you enjoy the future chapters!_

_Cute-Kitty: Yes! laughs Mud blech_

_Rikku Swirls: Yep! Update! _

_Vinter: laughs Yes, Effram is strange I need to sit down and think about just how strange he will be -_


	12. Chapter 12

**Shadow of Darkness**

_Chapter 12! Oh dear, I cannot believe it! I almost thought I wouldn't make it. It was a very difficult chapter to write (and, while writing it, I came up with something new, which involves the cliffhanger at the end!). I actually wrote most of this chapter today! laughs I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!_

**Chapter 12:**

**Chapter 12:**

Rikku followed Gippal closely as they headed further into the Den of Woe. Despite being carved into earth and stone, there was still enough light in the cave for them to see where they were going. This light was an eerie sort of glow, provided by the swarms of pyreflies that still lingered, unable to escape to the solace of the Farplane.

Fear was the only thing that kept Rikku quiet. It clenched her throat, making it difficult for her to even swallow.

"So," Gippal finally said uneasily, breaking the eerie silence. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"I don't know," Effram murmured as caught up with them. "Something unusual. Strange markings or an unusual growth are good starting points." He went over to the walls and began to run his fingers over them.

"How about a humongous fiend?" Rikku squeaked.

"Huh?"

"Right there! Big fiend! There! There!"

The cavern was filled with a rumbling growl and just to their left was a dragon-like fiend of monstrous proportions.

"Oh shit…" Gippal shouted, stumbling back, right into Rikku.

"Can we leave now?" she squawked, for once ignoring the collision.

"No," Effram said firmly. "This fiend is here for a reason. We have to fight it."

"No way! That thing is huge! You have to be kidding me!" she cried.

"Do I look like I am kidding? Arm yourselves. It comes!" He hauled his cross bow over his shoulders. After muttering a few words under his breath, he loosed a flaming arrow at the beast. With a solid 'clunk', the arrow hit the fiend's hide and fell away, shattering into splinters. "Oh… that changes everything."

The fiend was not happy at being shot at. It bellowed and lumbered after them. They took off running through the cave with Rikku in the lead.

"What do we now, Effram?" she shrieked.

"Yeah, your big plan blew up in our faces!" Gippal shouted.

Effram swore under his breath and yelled back at them for not offering a better suggestion. "Just… just go down there!" He pointed to a cavern on their left.

"Anything to get me away from that thing!" Rikku veered into the cavern with Effram and Gippal at her heels. Unfortunately, the fiend was not fool enough to keep heading straight. It followed them down the cavern.

And then…

"Dead end?" Rikku yelped. "Brilliant idea, Effram! Just brilliant! We are trapped!"

"It's trapped too," Effram snapped. "Look, it can't move to its full extent."

Indeed, the cavern was narrow and hindered the fiend's movements greatly. However, Rikku pointed out in a panicked voice that all it had to do was stretch out its sinewy neck and they would be lunch.

"Well, we just have to fight it, find its weak spot."

"Did you not miss how your arrow just _bounced_ off its freaking hide?" Gippal yelped. It _has_ no weak spots!"

"I thought you had a brain encased in that blond head of yours!" Effram snapped. "_Everything_ has a weak spot, even if it is microscopic."

"Microscopic won't exactly help us out here!" Gippal jumped out of the way as rock showered onto him from the ceiling. "What the…"

The fiend's movements in such a tight space were causing the cavern to crumble bit by bit.

Effram grabbed Gippal's gun and thrust it into his hands. "Just start shooting before we get caved in!" After instructing Rikku to start using any black magic she knew, he loosed arrow after arrow shimmering with various magical properties- violet fire, crackling lighting, the pearly glow of holy magic.

"Gippal, aim for the eyes!" he shouted, leaping out of the way of a clumsy claw. He turned his own arrows at the fiend's joints.

Rikku unleashed her most power spells- that were truly only just above the basic spells. She was rather unhappy that they didn't seem to be affecting the fiend very much. More rock crumbled onto them from above as the fiend roared hatefully at this assault, inching closer to snap and claw violently.

"Oh, forget this already!" she muttered to herself. Magic was getting her nowhere- and it was starting to drain her terribly of energy. Speed was her forte. It would be easier to find the fiend's weak spot if she joined the brawl. Mind made up, she grabbed her daggers out of her belt and charged in alongside the two men. But the fiend chose that moment to launch a vicious offensive. With a mighty roar, a gigantic clawed paw flashed out. Rikku managed to dodge the blow but a yell behind her told her that someone did not. She glanced back. Gippal's body hit the wall with a crack and slid to the ground heavily. Blood flowed freely from a deep gash across his abdomen.

"Gippal!" she screamed frantically.

"I'll take care of him!" Effram shouted, rushing to Gippal's side. "Distract the fiend! You're fast, you can find his weakness, right?"

"By myself!" she squawked.

"You can do it! Now go! Or it'll finish us off!" Effram began muttering and a gray glow surrounded Gippal.

Rikku made a faint noise of distress. How could she…? She shook her head firmly. No, the guys were counting on her. She helped defeat Vegnagun and Sin, she could do this. If anything, she could at least distract the fiend.

"H-hey, meathead!" she said in an attempt to be menacing. The quake in her voice spoke otherwise.

The fiend didn't even look at her. It was too intent on reaching Gippal to finish him off as a tasty snack. Another roar shook the cavern and more rock crumbled around them. Rikku squeaked, dodging the falling rocks. '_I'm not meant to do this,_' she thought. She seized a rock off the ground and heaved it at the fiend. '_Man, we are so done for!_' To her surprise, the rock hit the fiend square between the eyes and it was effectively distracted away from Gippal and Effram. The fiend shook its head, bewildered by this surprise attack.

Rikku took this moment of the fiend's hesitation to think about what the hell she was going to do next. Perhaps a time stopping spell… if only she could remember it! Damn. What a time to be unprepared. Petrifaction, perhaps? Yes! She knew that spell. And despite the fact that black magic hadn't worked against the beast, maybe status changing magic would… She squared her shoulders confidently. "All right, you dastardly fiend! You asked for it! It's time to be statuary!" After a moment of concentration, she released the spell, beaming with pride at her own brilliance. However, it seemed to be the day that the world chose to go against her. The spell hit the fiend's scaly hide and dispersed in a burst of gray light. The only thing her spell achieved was making it angrier.

"Aw man… I thought that would work," she moaned. "Effram, I could _really_ use your help right now!"

"I need more time!" he shouted in return as she dodged an enraged swipe from the fiend.

"How much more?" she demanded, glancing back. And that was her undoing. She felt a searing pain in her side and the world flipped end over end before she crashed into the wall. All her breath left her.

"_Rikku!_" she heard Effram shout through the ringing of her ears as she hit the ground. The shock forced her to take a sharp, painful breath.

"Tysh, dryd rind... _:Damn, that hurt…:_" She groaned and pushed herself up on one violently quaking arm. "I… I'm okay," she croaked to Effram. There was a spasm in her side. Wincing, she glanced down. A huge gash wrapping from navel to mid back was bleeding freely. Or were there two wounds? It took her a moment to realize she was seeing double. "Wonderful." She pulled a rag out of the pouch on her belt and clutched it to her wound. Climbing to her feet, she glared at the fiend. She had to take it down

"It's over for you, fiend," she grunted, taking a few off-balanced staggers forward.

"Rikku!" Effram shouted again.

"Crid ib, femm oui? _:Shut up, will you: _I have a plan and I need you to shut up so I can think straight!" She stumbled away from the fiend's snapping jaws.

Its body arched and it inched deeper into the cavern. She stared at the fiend's massive head. That was where she would strike. She dropped her blood soaked rag and grabbed her daggers off the ground, trying to psych herself up. '_Despite the fact that I see two of this fiend…_' She grit her teeth against her pain and, with a surprising burst of speed, she darted between the fiend's legs. Suddenly, she was behind it. She jumped over its wildly swinging tail. Its hunched back loomed before her. She had to get up that back. Wiping the sweat of pain and toil from her forehead, she charged at the fiend. The blades of her daggers sank deep into the fiend's tough hide. While doing little damage to the beast, it was a source of irritation and the fiend roared angrily, trying to thrust its back into the ceiling to rid itself of Rikku.

Rikku crouched low, clinging desperately to her daggers, and the fiend's back, as best she could. It was difficult. Her blood, mingled with the thin rivulets of blood from the wounds her daggers left on the fiend, coated her knees and made her hold slippery.

"Lusa uh... desa du... suja _:Come on… time to… move.:_" She wrenched one dagger out of the fiend's skin and, amidst its angry screams, reached out and plunged it into a new spot further up its back. It thrashed around as Rikku climbed towards its great head in this manner- stab, pull, and wrench; stab, pull, and wrench. By the time she reached its head, she'd nearly been knocked out twice, she was literally soaked in blood, and she was certain that she would have a permanent ringing in her ears from all the fiend's angry roaring. But she couldn't stop now. She latched her legs around the beast's rough neck, yelping when it threw its head around in attempt to throw her.

"Drec ec ed, Rikku. Bmayca... bmayca, mad drec fung. _:This is it, Rikku. Please... please, let this work.:_" She thrust her bloody daggers through the base of the fiend's skull, letting go to ram her fingers in her ears when the fiend let out an earth shattering scream. Dirt and rock crumbled off the cavern walls. The fiend fell silent and burst into a cloud of glittering pyreflies. Rikku found herself plummeting to the ground once again. She gave an agonized moan and remained motionless amidst the crumbling cavern walls.

"You did good, kiddo."

Weakly, she glanced left and saw Effram and Gippal kneeling beside her." Eh… It was … nothing."

"Hold still, I'll heal that wound," Effram commanded. It was an easy order to comply with. She didn't think she'd ever move again.

A warm feeling spread throughout her limbs, growing hot around her wound. She felt a bit of her strength returning. "Thanks Effram, she murmured when he had finished. She tried to sit but he pushed her back down.

"Don't. You really need some rest. We'll carry you out."

"Just like I came in." She smiled faintly. "I told you we shouldn't have come."

"But you did a great job, and all by yourself."

"Thanks…"

"You guys, we better go." Gippal interrupted with a frown. "I think we'll be caved in if we stay any longer."

"Right. Gippal, grab Rikku. I'll get our weapons." Effram ran to get his and Gippal's discarded weapons near the back of the cavern.

Rikku turned to Gippal, feeling a bit awkward. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

They were so close… close enough for a kiss- if either one dared to do it again. Alas, a crumbling cave would run most any mood and Gippal turned away with a violent twitch. "Let's go." In one swift motion he scooped her up and, with Rikku clinging to him for dear life, ran out of the Den of Woe after Effram.

They stopped running only when they could no longer hear the rumbling of the collapsing cave.

"That was close," Gippal gasped, breathless.

'Yes. Shall we vow never to do that again?" Effram asked.

"Yes, can we?" Rikku said pitifully.

They laughed, but it was a tense laugh, the laugh of those who were nervous and stressed rather than merry. Rikku looked at Gippal and a frown blossomed on her face. Something was wrong, was off. There was a struggle in his eyes. And… something… something else. "Gippal, are you okay?" He looked like- "You look like you have-"

"Rikku, you should rest," Effram said, crossing over to them. "Otherwise you will make yourself ill. You must be at the top of your form as often as possible."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

He smiled. "You'll feel better after you've rested." He placed his hands over her eyes. "Now sleep."

Rikku's head lolled onto Gippal's shoulder. She was fast asleep.

"Now, why don't we return to the Youth League Headquarters," he said to Gippal. "We could do with some rest as well."

They headed down the path in silence.

''''

'_Who is that? That song sounds familiar…_' Rikku stirred and opened her eyes. "Ugh… this room is so tacky." Trust that to be the first phrase from her mouth.

Moments later a face loomed into her line of vision. "It's about time you woke up, lazy."

She barely managed not to scream in fright. "Leblanc? Um… where am I?"

"Noojie-woojie's guest room. I decorated myself."

"I can tell," she mused. She pushed herself to a sitting position. "How is Gippal?" she asked, taking in more of the room's gaudy décor.

Leblanc sniffed with distaste. "He's fine. Just ridiculously grumpy."

"Are you sure it's grumpiness? He likes to pick on people. _Blech!_ Okay, first things first. I need a shower!" She had just caught a look at her reflection in the mirror on the vanity across from the bed. Her hair was atrocious- knotted up and matted with blood. She sniffed. Rank! She smelled too!

Leblanc must have smelled her too, because she immediately led her to the showers. Rikku scrubbed herself pink and washed her hair four times before she felt clean and refreshed. After carefully dressing and pulling her hair back into the usual ponytail and braids, she entered the main living space to find Gippal and Effram chatting with Nooj with packs over their shoulders.

"We're leaving already?" she asked inquisitively.

Effram nodded. "The sooner we find the Plague Master, the sooner everyone can return to normal."

"And the sooner Yuna will return to normal," Gippal pointed out.

He made a good point. She nodded in agreement. "Let's go to Djose and get us an airship then!"

It didn't take the party long to say goodbye. Nooj was kind enough to allow them to borrow a pair of hover bikes to cross the Mushroom Rock Road. They made it across in good time- about ten minutes later, they were handing the bikes off to the attendant who stood at the bridges before Djose. With Gippal in the lead, they crossed the bridges to the former temple. Rikku and Effram were lagging behind, working on exercises to help her improve the control and scope of her power to fight the Plague. Rikku was so absorbed in the exercises that she hadn't realized Gippal had stopped until she ran into him.

"Eh? What's the hold up?" She looked around him to see what the big deal was. And then she screamed.

………..

_Oh wow! The number of reviews for Chapter 11 were just unbelievable! I'm so shocked and pleased! Thank you all so much- I'm so flattered you like it! I'd also like to thank you all for reviewing because you guys actually end up providing me with ideas that keep me from getting severe writer's block! _

_Laura: laughs Elfram… Oh dear, that really makes me giggle! Now I know what to put in the outtakes I am sorry they bicker too much, I hope you still enjoy it! Sometimes I get into the bicker moment… Bah, _

_Cute-Kitty: oh my gosh… I totally didn't say how Effram looked, did I? Oh dear… Well, he's older than Rikku and Gippal, probably close to late twenties, Al Bhed with shoulder length hair in a ponytail _

_Rikku: Interesting reviews!_

_monkeyfish: Awww, thank you for the compliments!_

_OOoDancingQueenoOo: Well, here is your update! _

_Black-Eyed Mistress: I'm not quite sure if it was different or not! Knowing me, it probably was laughs Well, I hope you like this chapter, it's going to get more intense from here on out! meep_

_kingleby: I'm glad you liked the lines! I like those ones too! It seems a lot of people enjoy the line where Rikku can't admit Gippal was right._

_Jen: I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_Stari-nite: I can't wait to reveal who is doing the Plague!_

_Angry Girl: I hope to include more Rikku/Gippal but we'll see -_

_fighter-chick: I'm glad you enjoy my story! And I'm flattered you like the characterizations and such. I hope this chapter was fun to read._

_PerfectStranger: You aren't the first person to inquire about the kiss and you know what? I totally forgot about it! meep And I hope that this was amped up enough for you -_

_Fanfic-Lover: Yay! 10 chocobo feathers for me! laughs And a lot of people think Effram is interesting!_


	13. Chapter 13

**Shadow of Darkness**

_Be prepared to be shocked! Astounded! And potentially frightened away from this story for good! Alas, I knew the dangers of chapter 13, yet it had to be written. So please enjoy!_

**Chapter 13: **

"What… the hell… happened…" Gippal asked amidst Rikku's horrified screams. His voice trembled. He plunged his hands through his hair. "What…"

Bodies- mangled, broken bodies- lay everywhere, steeped in pyreflies and blood. So much blood. Severed limbs and- Rikku screamed again- heads littered the ground like pieces of a broken doll.

Slowly, she, Gippal, and Effram crossed the blood-soaked grounds to the temple ahead. It was silent. Unnaturally so.

They were dead. All dead.

Inside the temple there were broken Al Bheds everywhere. Men and women, young and old- Rikku even found a young girl, not more than six years old, dead. "They… were slaughtered," she croaked, clinging to Effram's arm.

"How could this happen?" he murmured. He crouched next to a fallen body and touched it gently. "Nothing…"

She gasped in horror, getting a good look at the body's face. It was Arrik, missing an arm below the elbow, with a deep wound in his chest. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard. "Arrik! Come on, wake up!" she ordered through her tears. "Wake up you idiot!" His head rolled aimlessly on his neck as he stared skyward with unseeing eyes. With a wail, she dropped her head onto his cold shoulder and sobbed.

Effram squeezed her shoulder. "Come," he said quietly. "We must find Gippal." During this, he had disappeared without a sound.

Rikku looked up at him with a face splotchy and stained with tears. How could he be so calm? However, his face was pained as well and it looked as though this decision had been difficult to achieve.

Slowly, she nodded. "Yes… yes, I suppose we should."

Effram pulled Rikku to her feet and they headed for the Chamber of the Faith, careful to avoid stepping on the dead. Rikku scrubbed her face dry and joined him as he called out for Gippal. Effram held out his arm to stop her and they paused. There was the sound of sobbing coming from a small room on the left.

Sniffing, Rikku turned towards the room and, stepping over the body of a small Al Bhed boy. Why them…? They were just children…

There was Gippal, crouched over the body of an older man. It was Mikkeb. Rikku recognized the wild shock of graying blond hair. That was all she recognized. Gippal was…

"Crying," she murmured. She ran over to him. "Gippal…"

He looked at her, tears flowing freely. He didn't even seem to notice. This sight, the one of Gippal's tears, made this nightmare real. He was not the sort to cry. "Dead. They're all dead." His voice cracked.

Tears filled Rikku's eyes once more. She reached out to him, only to be pulled back. "What?" She glanced back at Effram, who was holding her arm.

"He needs to be alone."

"But…" She lurched towards Gippal again. And again, she was pulled back.

Effram shook his head slowly when she looked back. "He will come to us when he is ready." He guided her out of the room. "Let's clean this place up."

Rikku spared a final glance at Gippal. He had his back to them, still holding Mikkeb. "I- I guess."

''''

It was near midnight when Rikku sought Gippal out, despite Effram's order to wait. Considering she had no patience for waiting, she thought that she'd done well to wait those several hours. And that time had been well spent. Most of the bodies were buried now. Besides, the thought of leaving him alone to deal with this on his own made her feel ill. She knew that _she_ couldn't cope with it alone.

She approached the room Mikkeb's body was found in with care. She wasn't surprised to find Gippal still there, tinkering with a small machina.

"Gippal?" she said tentatively.

"Hmm?" He set the machina aside and half-glanced at her.

Suddenly she felt very awkward. "Um… How-how are you doing?"

"All right." He didn't look directly at anything.

All right? How could he be all right? _She _certainly wasn't _all right_ and _she_ didn't have the relationship with these people that Gippal had. But all she could muster was a brief "Oh."

There was silence, moody silence. Rikku fidgeted. And then, Gippal spoke.

"It's just… why? Why- why Mikkeb? Why Arrik and Sherri and Haro? His voice was hoarse, but power was building in it- frustration, anger, confusion.

Rikku stepped forward with her hand outstretched, intending to offer comfort. Hopefully. "Gippal…"

"Why did they die?" he shouted. "Who would do such a thing!"

She drew back.

"Just go. Get out of here!" He threw his machina at her and then slumped onto the stool, burying his head in his hands.

She bit her lip. His actions startled her, but they didn't stop her from approaching him again. Her boots crunched on the scattered bolts and bits of metal that scattered from the machina he threw when it hit the ground.

"I told you to go!" he snapped, turning his back to her.

Rikku swallowed hard. Then, with a nod, she headed back for the door. "Get some rest, Gippal," she murmured, closing the door softly behind her. Tears were streaming down her face. Slowly, she wandered back to the room where Effram set up camp. It was the only room that had not reeked of death.

"Rikku, what-" Effram asked, upon seeing her face. He had been busy stoking a fire in the fireplace.

Her only reply was to run into his arms, bawling.

He sighed quietly. "Don't worry. In time, he will accept it."

Rikku looked up at him. She couldn't explain why, but she knew that that phrase was something she had to remember.

''''

_Bang! Clank! Clatta-clatta CRASH!_

Rikku had managed to fall asleep _well_ after midnight when, only a few hours later, she was roused by such noises.

"Huh?" She lifted her head and glanced around sleepily. "What's going on?"

Across the room, a figure was hopping around, clutching its foot. It was the muttering of Al Bhed curses few would dare to even mutter that gave the figure away. "Gippal? What's going on?"

"We're leaving, that's what," Gippal said quietly, regaining his composure.

"What's going on?" A light flickered on and Effram lifted his head from his pallet.

"Gippal says we're leaving." And Rikku couldn't agree more. The sooner she was out of such a hellish place, the better.

"Oh?"

The two men stared at one another, as if in a battle of wills. It seemed as though Gippal won because, a minute later, he said crisply, "Yes. We're leaving. Now. Guadosalam is quite a walk away and I doubt it's going to come to us."  
"Walk?" Rikku said.

"Yes. Walk. Not much work was accomplished here last night."

Rikku recalled the image of bodies. She closed her eyes, struggling to keep the tears at bay. How had Yuna dealt with all this death? She never saw her cousin shed more than a single tear in the face of such horror. Only afterwards, when she had done all she could… '_Yunie is just stronger than I am. She always has been_/'

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. She even managed to muster a smile, though she knew it looked as forced as it felt. "Well, we won't get to Guadosalam talking about it."

Gippal nodded and, with an abrupt turn on his heel, led the way out. Rikku hung back and turned to Effram. "Do you… do you think this is a result of the Plague?" she asked quietly.

"It seems a bit strong for that. Besides, I saw no residues of the Plague within any of the bodies. Had you, perhaps?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Who could've done this? What- what could there be to gain from this slaughter?"

"Perhaps…" Effram faded off thoughtfully.

"Perhaps what? Do you know something, Effram?"

He held up a hand. "This is merely speculation. But perhaps the culprit wanted to send someone a message. A very serious one, by the looks of it."

"A message?" she squeaked.

"Maybe. Or a warning."

Rikku frowned. A warning… a temple full of destroyed Al Bhed. _She_ was Al Bhed. With a gasp she stopped and seized Effram's arm. "Do you think it was a warning from the Plague Master?"

"Your conclusion surprises me," he mused.

"I'm not so stupid," she muttered. But even she was surprised that she was able to come to such a conclusion. "Do you think that could be it?

He shrugged. "It is quite possible."

Her shoulders quivered with anger. "If it is… If it is, I'll kill him. With my bare hands." This Plague Master would _not_ walk away from her. Ever.

"You are certain you still want to go after him?"

She nodded firmly. "I won't let him get away with this."

"You are a brave girl, Rikku." He smiled.

She sighed.

"You guys are lagging!" Gippal shouted, already close to the first bend on the path to the Moonflow.

Rikku squeaked faintly and ran to catch up. The faster this was solved, the better. She didn't want this master to get away with any more deaths.

''''

Everything appeared to be functioning normally at the Moonflow bank. No one seemed to realize that just down the road was a temple of death. The Hypello, one of the few sentient, non-human races in Spira, plodded about their business as if they were totally unaware of the crisis unfolding in their world.

A thought suddenly occurred to Rikku. Maybe this Plague only affected humans. It would certainly explain the Hypellos' easygoing behavior. She voiced her thoughts to Effram- Gippal was busy acquiring passage across the Moonflow on the shoopuf.

"That is a good observation. I thought of the same myself."

Gippal shouted to them across the dock. He was already seated in the carriage atop the shoopuf.

Casting one last look at the road to Djose temple, she ran to Gippal with Effram close on her heels. At least the ride on the shoopuf would distract her from the horrors of the previous evening, if only for a short while.

''''

The trip across the Moonflow was uneventful. Talk was light but guarded, as none of the party wanted to even touch on the subject of the murders.

Rikku's stomach grumbled loudly as they set foot on dry land. "Ugh." She hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before. Vendors in the small courtyard across the dock had signs displaying all sorts of dishes native to various locals throughout Spira.

"Can we stop to eat?" she asked, eyeballing the vendor offering the Al Bhed favorite, _secu cuib_.

"Are you sure we have time?" Gippal asked skeptically.

"I'm starving. And if I want to save the world, I have to keep up my strength," she pointed out in a tone reminiscent of Effram's. "So yes. Plenty of time."

"Then why'd you bother asking?"

"I was trying to be nice, in case you didn't notice."

"I didn't."

"Jerk."

"Brat."

"Pinhead."

"Loud mouth."

"Enough!" Effram pushed the two out of each other's faces. "Now, let's just get some food okay? Or will that be too hard?"

"Sorry," they muttered simultaneously.

It was over lunch- courtesy of Effram when he couldn't stand Rikku and Gippal's bickering over the check- that they heard a peculiar bit of gossip. It was loud gossip, coming from a few tables away. Apparently, an airship had crashed just outside Guadosalam a few days prior. No one was hurt, but it seemed that the wreckage blocked entrance to the town.

Rikku frowned, spoon hovering halfway to her mouth. "What are we going to do?" she murmured. "We have to get into Guadosalam."

"Help clear the wreck?" Gippal suggested.

"That might take a while," Effram pointed out.

"Well, it'll be faster than if we just sit around and wait for it to get done. And, I don't know how it is for you old folks, but young'uns like Rikku and me have to keep busy. Besides, didn't you know? Rikku's the goddess of the dig. She could probably clear it in one day. By herself." He smirked.

"Not funny." Rikku was annoyed with his constant picking, but at least that meant he was getting back to his normal self.

Effram made a face. "Twenty-seven is _not_ that old."

"Oh ho! Watch out! He'll be calling me sonny next!" Gippal crowed.

Rikku had to laugh. After all, he wasn't picking on her for once! Gippal joined immediately and, after a minute, so did Effram. With that laughter, a bit of their anxieties ebbed away.

They finished eating, paid the bill, and headed off down the trodden path towards Guadosalam It was not long before they heard the low buzz of many voices and, minutes after that, caught sight of the crash. Dozens of people milled around the mess, pulling away pieces of twisted metal out of the way. Even a news crew was set up.

"The markings on that metal look familiar," Rikku said, tilting her head to one side.

"My _baby!_" Gippal shouted. Indeed, the pile of crumpled metal and scattered parts had been Gippal's former, nameless ship. "That stupid chunk of moron! I'll kill him!"

"Gippal, calm down! I'm sure Barthello-"

"No! No, don't you tell me to calm down, Rikku. Don't you dare! That god-forsaken dumb ass stole my ship! _My_ ship! And crashed it! I can't fly a gods damned hunk of scattered metal and bolts!" And he stormed off towards the wreckage, seizing hold of a red-haired reporter to demand the culprit's location.

Rikku gritted her teeth. '_Honestly, he can be such a drama queen._' She chased after him. "Put Shelinda down, dummy!" she snapped, grabbing the young reporter round the middle and pulling her away from him. "_Honestly_, you big baby!" With a sigh, she tossed a tuft of blond hair from her eyes and smiled faintly at Shelinda. "Sorry…"

She shook her head. "No, it's all right." Though she _did_ look a little ruffled, she smiled pleasantly. "How are you, anyway? Are you not traveling with High Summoner Yuna this time?"

Rikku shook her head sadly. And yet, she was a bit surprise (yet glad) that the news of Yuna's illness hadn't spread. "You see, Yunie- ah, Yuna caught the Dark Plague."

Shelinda gasped appropriately. "Oh no! Not Lady Yuna! Is- is there anything I can do?"

She shrugged. "Not much. I'm working on it myself." She paused before adding," Just… please, don't let anyone else know what's going on. I'm don't want people freaking out over it." And blaming her. "Yuna doesn't need that sort of attention."

"Oh yes. I understand. "The girl nodded firmly. "All right, I won't say anything."

Rikku smiled. "Thank you." She glanced around the wreckage curiously. Gippal was deep in the middle of it, clutching pieces to his chest in mourning. Poor guy. She sighed and turned to Shelinda again. "How long do you think clearing this mess up will take? I need to get into Guadosalam."

"You can go now, actually. They cleared a path an hour ago."

"Oh, super!" She stood on her toes and motioned for Effram and Gippal to join her. "Thanks for the information, Shelinda."

The girl smiled. "Of course."

The men approached.

"There is a path cleared into Guadosalam," Rikku said eagerly. Now the time had come! She could prove the deceased Maester Seymour was behind everything! "Let's rock-n roll!… Gippal, put that stuff down."

"These are the remains of my baby. I won't put them down and you can't make me!" he finished this off with a defiant stomp.

"Just so you know, I doubt Barthello stuck around. He's desperate to get help for Dona."

"Oh, he better be around because I still have an ass to destroy."

She rolled her eyes. Men and their airships.

………..

_If you made it through chapter 13, hurrah! I hope you enjoyed it, it was a bit darker than the rest of the story, I think. I do warn you that it might not get much lighter as the story progresses, but I will try to keep in some of the jokes and playful banter (don't want to freak ourselves out with _too _much seriousness -) Oh! And a chocolate chocobo to anyone who can figure out what the Al Bhed favorite, _secu cuib_, is - _

_OOoDancingQueenoOo: Hahahha, yes, I am known for evil cliffhangers (And I love Gippal/Rikku romance too!) Sadly, I used to employ cliffies more than I do now… - But! I hope you enjoy chapter 13! _

_Canada Eh: Cliffies are oh so delightful in torturing … insert evil cliffy laugh here_

The Al Bhed known as Amaria: I'm so flattered you like my story! (And Amaria is such a pretty name.)

_Fighter-chick: Eep! I hope this chapter was up soon enough for you! - It was difficult to write, but I hope you enjoy it!_

_Fanfic-Lover: Hahah, thank you for the speculations! I love it when my readers pitch such things, it really inspires ideas for me! And I hope this chapter is quite a surprise for you!_

_LotisMasterBrit: Ohhhh, a Alice 19th fan? I love that manga… And I'm so glad you like the story! I hope you continue to enjoy it._

_PerfectStranger: More power to Rikku! I particularly enjoyed writing her in butt-kicking action. And I'm glad you enjoyed it as well!_


	14. Chapter 14

**Shadow of Darkness**

_I actually wrote this chapter at record speed- 2 days! And I have already started chapter 15- that's how exciting it's getting! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_Fun SoD fact of the day: Effram's name was originally Hao._

**Chapter 14:**

Guadosalam had changed a lot since Sin's defeat two years prior. The Guado had been driven out of their home for fear of retaliation from the fierce Ronso- a justifiable fear, considering those very Guado destroyed most of the Ronso tribes. Following their departure came the Leblanc Syndicate and with it, a slew of humans. Then, just prior to the defeat of Vegnagun, Leblanc and her sphere hunting cronies moved out and the Guado returned to their home. And now…

"Ronso and Guado living together? How weird is that?" Rikku mused as she, Gippal, and Effram surveyed the area.

It was astounding. Two races, that were mortal enemies, were residing in the same town, actually _getting along_. She could hardly believe it, even though it was happening right before her eyes.

"Everything looks peaceful here," Effram commented. "I see no signs of the Plague."

It seemed to prove Rikku's theory of the plague's intended victims.

"Do you see Barthello around?" Gippal asked in a dangerously hushed voice.

"Give it a rest will you?" Rikku grunted.

"No."

And that was that.

"Come, let's look for clues." Effram motioned for them to follow him. "Let's start with Seymour's former chateau." He pointed to the elaborate scarlet door at the very back of the town.

"Good idea. Oh, oh! I just had an idea! We should check out Macalania Temple as well!"

"Rikku, the path to the temple collapsed," Gippal pointed out as Effram led the way to the chateau.

"I know, I was there. What's your point? We killed Seymour there the first time. He could still be haunting the place."

"We shouldn't even be here! For the last time, it's not Seymour!" Gippal exploded.

"Like you even know!"

"Enough!" Effram's shout caused the two of them to jump, and several villages to poke their heads out the windows and doors curiously.

Rikku flushed and pushed past the two men. Emphatically, she knocked on the chateau's door. A few impatient minutes later the door creaked open and an elder Guado stepped into view.

"Yes, can I help you?" he asked in the slow, careful Guado way.

"Tromell! Oh… uh… what a surprise."

"Hmm?" He looked at Rikku for a good, long time. She fidgeted under the scrutiny. "Ah, you were one of High Summoner Yuna's guardians, were you not? Come in, please." He stepped aside and she entered with Gippal and Effram flanking her.

"Whatever can I do for you? Would you care for some tea?" Tromell asked, slowly, slowly leading them through the foyer and into the dining room.

"No, ah… hmm." And she was stumped. How was she going to go about finding the answers she needed? Asking something as straightforward as "Hey, has your dead boss set loose a load of darkness in attempt to destroy Spira again from here, lately?" was out of the question. The Guado were sensitive on the subject of their evil, fallen comrade. Yet she had no idea of how else to put it.

Then Effram spoke. "Have you noticed anything peculiar going on around town?" Rikku gave him a relieved look. Count on him to come up with a perfect solution.

Tromell was quiet for a long time, considering the question carefully. Finally, he heaved a great sigh. "I'm afraid not. Is there anything I should be looking out for?"

"Oh, no. No, we're just trying to solve a puzzle. Thank you." He glanced around. "Say, this is a lovely place. Might we have a tour?"

"A tour?" The elder Guado blinked, as if this was the strangest thing he'd ever been asked. "Oh, I suppose I could do that." He stood and led them from the room.

"What's with the tour?" Gippal asked, arching his brow. He and Rikku fell into step beside Effram.

"It will give us a chance to check things out for ourselves. We might notice something that the Guado did not."

"Good idea," said Rikku.

Unfortunately, the tour proved less than fruitful. The only interesting things they came across were the portraits of past great leaders of the Guado of which Seymour's portrait was curiously absent.

"That was a waste of time," Rikku whined when they finally said goodbye to Tromell. "I was _so_ certain we'd find something on Seymour, too."

"Well, we just have to keep looking them," Effram said. "We still have Macalania Temple- if we can get to it- and Zanarkand."

"Still…" She was so disappointed.

"Let's go."

"Yeah. I don't think Barthello is here either."

"Gippal!" Rikku and Effram shouted.

"What?"

''''

The trip across the first half of the Thunder Plains was uneventful- even boring. It stormed and there was mud. Lots and lots of mud. Gippal was amazed (and disappointed) that Rikku overcame her fears of thunder and lightening. One less thing for him to tease her about.

Night had fallen- though it was difficult to tell on those stormy plains- but they stopped anyway at the Travel Agency for the night.

Rikku was stretched out on her stomach on her bed (in her own room, thankfully) after a tiring magic exercise with Effram. She was pleased with her progress. She ached less and less after each lesson and now she didn't even collapse. It made her feel as though perhaps she _could_ take on the Plague Master. But only perhaps.

Reaching over the edge of her bed, she plucked her commsphere out of her bag. It was time for a call to Besaid.

"Hey Lulu," she said when the woman answered her sphere. Lulu's figure looked tired in the watery sphere.

"Hello. How is everything going?" she asked in a voice as weary as she looked.

"Not so well…" She proceeded to fill her in on what had happened: Marin's death; her own responsibilities to fix things; meeting Effram; the battles with monstrous fiends; and of course, the events at Djose Temple.

Lulu frowned. "This is terrible…" She sighed. "I feel awful that Wakka and I can't help."

"That's okay. You _are_ helping. You're taking care of Yunie. Speaking of which… how is she? Oh, and Tidus," she added as a vague afterthought.

"Their conditions are the same. I managed to bring their temperatures down a bit more." Lulu sighed and glanced over her shoulder, nodded, and then turned back to Rikku. "However, there are several residents who have now fallen ill."

"Oh man…" And suddenly she thought '_Perhaps I could return to Besaid and fix Yunie_ now!' Her power was still developing but curing Nooj proved that she could do it.

Lulu cleared her throat emphatically.

"Oh, sorry… did you say something?" Rikku said sheepishly.

The older woman gave her a stern look. "I said that I know what you're thinking. And don't. We can take care of Besaid. Finding this… Plague Master is more important right now."

"More important than Yunie!"

"Yes. And I know she would agree. One life, though special and important, does not compare to many. You must stop this before anyone dies from this."

She sighed heavily. Lulu was right. She _knew_ she was right. But she couldn't help her bias. She was certain that anyone else in her position would want to help close friends or family first. '_Look at Barthello. He stole an airship he couldn't fly because Dona is most important to him_.' It was hard _not_ to think that way. She sighed. Finally, she said goodbye to Lulu and stashed the sphere back into her sack. Her room was miserably quiet. It was strange- she didn't think she would actually miss it, but arguing with Gippal kept her from becoming bored out of her mind. And… and… she was forced to admit that he was pretty cute… when he wasn't talking.

"Ah, I guess I can visit the guys… yeesh, was that my stomach? I'm starving." She clambered gracelessly off of her bed and padded down the hall of the Travel Agency to the room Gippal and Effram shared. Hesitantly, she knocked.

"'S open," was the grunted reply.

She opened the door carefully and poked her head into the room. Gippal was sitting on the window seat, staring out at the storm. "Oh um… hi."

"Hey." No jibe. No rude comment.

She frowned. So unlike him. "Uh… you want to get something to eat?"

"No."

"Oh ah… okay." He still hadn't looked away from the window. She arched her brow. "Gippal, you aren't still mourning your airship, are you?"

"No! Dammit Rikku what do you want!" His fists were clenched tightly in his lap and his torso was rigid. Despite his outburst, he was exercising a surprising amount of self-control. She couldn't understand why.

"I just thought I'd visit, that's all. I'm bored."

"Well, be bored somewhere else. You shouldn't be visiting. It's not safe for you to be visiting."

She blinked. "What?"

"Hey guys, what's all the commotion?" Effram entered the room with a small sack of food.

"N-nothing." Rikku was giving Gippal a peculiar look.

Effram pulled a sandwich from his sack. "Here, this is for you. No onions or tomato."

She took the sandwich wordlessly.

"Gippal, will you join us?"

He simply grunted, stood up, and left.

Rikku frowned, tearing her sandwich into pieces and arranging it into little piles. "What's wrong with him?"

"I believe he is still mourning. He is very frustrated right now."

"About the ship?"

"No, no. His friends and employees. Back at Djose."

"But I thought-"

Effram shook his head. "The ship was more of a coping mechanism. Certainly, he was upset about the crash- I would be too- but he put all of his anger and frustration into that ship's demise. To lose a ship is a lot less emotionally straining than to lose a person."

"Oh…" Rikku gave him a sad little smile. "You're so smart, Effram. I thought he was just going crazy.

"Ah, well, that is a valid theory as well." Effram smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "Don't worry about him. I'll make sure everything is okay."

"I'm not _worried_. Not about him, I mean," she grumbled, finishing her sandwich.

Again, he smiled. "Whatever you say. Why don't you go to bed, hmm? You look like you could use some sleep."

She nodded. After saying goodnight, she headed back to her room. She wasn't worried about Gippal. And how _dare_ Effram suggest that he thought otherwise!

''''

In the morning, Rikku didn't even bother with a shower. The Thunder Plains provided one for her. The moment the party set foot outside the Travel Agency, they were drenched.

"I hate the Thunder Plains," she muttered as they trudged down the muddy path in the direction of Macalania Woods. After only a few minutes, she was forced to walk barefoot- the rain kept filling up her boots!

Effram stuffed her shoes into his back and they moved on.

"Have you figured out how we are going to get to Macalania Temple?" Gippal asked Rikku.

She shrugged. "I'm working on it."

"Well work faster, we'll be there in a few hours."

"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid," she said grumpily.

"You are stupid."

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"What, are you guys four years old?" Effram said with an aggravated sigh. It seemed no one was in a bright mood that morning.

There was a tremendous clap of thunder and Rikku shrieked.

"I thought you weren't afraid of thunder anymore," Gippal taunted smugly.

"I'm not." And that was when Rikku tripped over something squashy and fell flat in the mud. Whatever she tripped over let out a surprised yell. A mountain of mud moved. "A fiend!" she shrilled, clambering to her feet, looking like a muddy fiend herself.

"Fiend! Fiend, where?" The mud mountain could speak.

She frowned thoughtfully, which made her face look terribly warped as rain washed bits of mud away. "Barthello?"

The rain cleared away some of the mud on the mountain. It was Barthello. There was no mistaking that hulking mass of muscle.

"Huh? Oh, hello." He bobbed his head. And then Gippal tackled him to the ground.

"You bastard! You stole my ship! Worse still, you couldn't even fly it! You crashed it! Tell me why I shouldn't kill you!"

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to help Dona!" he wailed.

Rikku rolled her eyes. "Gippal, you dummy! Get off of him! I can't believe you!" It took a moment, but he seemed to heed her words because he climbed off of him. She reached down and tried to pull Barthello to his feet. "Are you- ugh, are you okay? I'm sorry about him."

"It's okay." Barthello heaved a great, tragic sigh. "I deserved it."

"Damn straight you did."

"Gippal, knock it off!" She turned back to Barthello. "Uh, what were you doing sleeping out here anyway? You could've gotten sick and died!"

"I had no money to stay at an inn or even to buy supplies. I'd been awake since before the crash. I guess… I guess I was so tired I collapsed right here to sleep.

"That was brilliant."

"Gippal!" both Rikku and Effram shouted.

What?"

Rikku rolled her eyes. "Would you like to join us for a while? Until you can get passage home, at least?" she asked Barthello.

"What good will this great lug do for us?" Gippal hissed at her.

She had the same thoughts, but she simply glared at him. "C'mon, it'll be fun."

Barthello considered it very briefly and nodded vigorously. "That would be wonderful- I accept!"

Gippal groaned and Effram slapped Barthello on the shoulder. "Welcome."

"Now come on, we have to get to Macalania Woods," Rikku said impatiently.

"You _do_ realize that we're going to freeze in the snow out there, don't you?" Gippal asked.

"If we dry off and run, we'll be fine," she replied.

"Your sense of logic frightens me."

She stuck her tongue out at him as the party finally continued their trek across the rainy plains.

''''

"Fyns yen! Fyns yen! _:Warm air! Warm air:_" Rikku proclaimed through chattering teeth as they burst into the former Travel Agency now run by the merchant O'aka.

"I t-t-told you we would free-freeze!" Gippal said, rubbing his arms vigorously, hoping the long sleeves on his shirt would create decent friction. Crystals of ice showered off of his shirt.

"Welcome to O'aka's!" crowed an overjoyed voice.

"Oh, hello O'aka," Rikku said, wincing at the loud tone of his voice.

"Oh, it's been _so_ long since I've had any customers, yes it has! Welcome, welcome! What can I do for you? Supplies, weapons, armor, repairs?"

"Actually, we'd just like a place to stay for the day," Effram said. "We need to make a plan for what we're going to do about reaching the Temple," he explained to Gippal and Rikku when they gave him puzzled looks.

O'aka looked very disappointed as he checked over his books. "Yes, we have some rooms available." Obviously.

"How much?"

O'aka named his price and they had no choice but to go with only two rooms. Rikku managed to claim one room as hers alone after a heated argument with Gippal- "You just want to see me naked again, don't you, oui banjand! _:you pervert:_- which left Barthello, Effram, and Gippal to share a room.

After settling in, they gathered to discuss the Macalania situation.

"None of us have checked- perhaps the hole in the path has frozen over again," Barthello pointed out, a part of the conversation though he had no idea what was going on. Unfortunately, no one bothered to try and fill him in either.

"Effram nodded. "That is true. But if it hasn't, then what?"

"We could walk carefully around the edge of the hole, maybe?" Rikku offered.

Gippal snorted.

"What was that? Do you have a better idea, perhaps?" she asked crisply.

"No. I just don't see why we're going to all this trouble when it's not Seymour," he said grouchily.

"How would you know?"

"Will you knock off this argument, please! I'm tired of hearing it! We're here to plan, not argue," Effram said, massaging his temple.

"Ooh, ooh, I know!" Rikku said, waving her hand excitedly. Already she had forgotten the argument. "We can repair the hole! I know some ice magic!"

"That's a good idea."

"I do too," Barthello said. "I could help."

"Even better." Effram looked satisfied. "We have some workable ideas started."

They "discussed" for a few more hours- with lots of shouting and childish behavior- but those three ideas were the best they could consider. Finally, out of sheer annoyance, Effram called their meeting to an end.

"Let's just sleep on this, okay? We'll talk again in the morning."

It was one of the few things they could all agree upon.

''''

Rikku was typically a heavy sleeper, but this evening was strangely different. She woke with a start. It took her a moment to realize that the sound of someone opening her door was what roused her. She stifled a yawn. "Wha… Who is it?" She squinted and made out the figure in the faint moonlight filtering through her window. "Oh, Gippal. What do you want?" He didn't answer. Cripes, was he sleepwalking? "Giiiippaaaalll…"

There was a loud clink and Rikku found herself staring down the barrel of a tremendous gun.

………..

_Yes! A cliffie! And what an intensely exciting one! Will I make you wait? Bwahaha… ah, the possibilities are endless! - _

_The Al Bhed Known as Amaria: Ah yes… men and their machines. Tis so hard to cure them of such things -_

_LotisMasterBrit: laughs That is true, this is not Alice 19th. But I am glad you still like the story _

_Green-eyed-blond: You are right! A chocolate chocobo for you! And I'm flattered you love my story! Thank you _

_Fighter-chick: laughs No complaints! This is the most I've ever updated any story of mine! I'm so glad you continue to enjoy the story _

_Lems: laughs Men _are_ weak, don't you know that? - Nah, the men will get there digs in! Rikku just has the advantage of being the heroine -_

_Cutekitty: laughs Does he seem older? Sometimes I think so too, but then sometimes he seems younger. And yep, he is Al Bhed- I think (I hope anyway laughs) that it was in an earlier chapter, when Effram first joined the party… or something like that_

OooDancingQueenoO: laughs Well, there is a reason Gippal acts like a baby about his airship- which I hope this chapter illustrated.

_ Jen: Thank you for such an in depth review! And I'm glad that you thought Chapter 13 was sad, as that was the point laughs It becomes key later in the story. And I'm glad you are so into it (I am so into writing it!)_

_ Pikachu: Pika-piiii! ahem Anyway Is this update soon enough? - _


	15. Chapter 15

Shadow of Darkness

_ Sorry about the wait, my lovely readers. It seems my hard drive blew out, so I have to borrow my parents' computer to do this chapter. Thankfully, _this_ chapter (unlike so many other stories of mine sigh) was handwritten, so I didn't have to start from scratch! Anyway… enough of my babbling- enjoy!_

To further enjoy your SoD experience (-), I would like to recommend listening to "Edtude in C Minor Op. 10, No. 12 (Revolutionary / Fall of Warsaw)" by Chopin, for this chapter. It _truly_ sets the mood for the first part of the chapter.

**Chapter 15:**

"Gippal, what are you doing?" Rikku shrieked.

Click. The weapon was cocked.

With a noise of panic, she hauled herself out from under her blankets and thrust her foot into his path, striking the gun forcefully as it discharged, and sent it flying from Gippal's hands. He scrambled for it. Rikku used his moment of distraction to catch the sight of a bullet hole in the mattress next to her pillow. He could _not_ get that gun again!

Hastily reaching over the side of her bed, where she had dropped the holster for her blades, she yanked one out and threw it. It did nothing more than barely make the gun budge, but it was all she needed to distract him. He turned to her with an angry growl.

"Ur cred, ur cred! _:Oh shit, oh shit:_" Rikku squeaked.

He lunged. Frantically, she leapt off her bed. This didn't faze him, for he scrambled across the bed, after her.

'_I have to get to the door…'_ She dodged his arms and skirted around him. He followed, not to be outsmarted. Damn.

"Gippal, what is wrong with you!" she screamed. She dodged him again and, in the process, rammed her gut into the edge of a small table in the room. "Ugh…" She stumbled back, stunned and out of breath. That moment was her undoing. Gippal swung one arm around her neck, and he grabbed a handful of her hair, while the other arm latched around her shoulders. Darkness flared before her eyes.

'_Oh crap- he has the Plague!_'

His grip tightened. She gagged. It felt as though he was trying to twist her neck from her shoulders. It was then she realized that he wasn't choking her- he was trying to break her neck! She gasped and nearly choked on the attempt to force air down her throat. She clawed wildly at his neck. She never knew that he had been so strong.

'_No, no, no, I don't want to die!_' Her head spun. '_No!_' With a lot of effort, she slammed her heel on his instep and heard a crunch. Gippal released her with a mighty shove, howling in pain.

Rikku stumbled back, grabbing onto the chair near the bed for support. "Calm down," she told herself, though it was useless. She was shaking so badly she thought perhaps her bones had turned to jelly. No, calm, calm… she had to cure him, she _had _to! She couldn't concentrate. So many things were running through her head.

'_Stop it! I've got to-_' The thought was cut short when a force knocked into her. She crashed onto her bed, knocking her head on the elaborate wooden headboard. Stars burst before her eyes. She had trouble breathing- it took her a moment to realize that Gippal was choking her.

'_I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I don't want to die, but I can't fix him!_' She tried to pull his fingers away, to no avail. Her ears were ringing and her vision was becoming cloudy- not only with the Darkness, but with the first signs of passing out as well. '_I've got to…_' No more time for this. She grabbed a hold of Gippal's face and pushed out as much power as she could muster.

The magic hit him like a load, flinging him across the room. He hit the wall with a tremendous crack- she wouldn't have been surprised if his spine broke- and slithered to the ground in a slump. There was a hole in the plaster where he struck the wall.

Rikku sat up, gasping for air, lightheaded. With a moan, she leaned over the edge of the bed and retched violently into the wastebasket beside it. Finally, slowly, she sat up and rubbed her neck, wincing. That had hurt. She swallowed hard and started to tremble- she had nearly been killed!

Across the room, Gippal stirred with a groan. He pushed himself up on one hand, holding his head with the other. "Ugh… what happened?" he croaked. "Feels like one hell of a hangover."

Rikku cleared her throat and he looked at her, faintly surprised. "You- you tried to kill me," she managed.

"What? I- Rikku…"

"You had the Plague."

"The Plague," he paused. "The Plague! Rikku, I-" He stood up quickly but, with a yelp of pain, slumped back down again. "My foot…"

"Uh… yeah, I- I broke it, accidentally on purpose." She drew in a shaky breath. "Nng… now I know how Yunie must have felt." She rubbed her neck again.

Gippal half-crawled half-hobbled across the room and gingerly sat next to her. "Rikku, I'm- I'm sorry about this," he said seriously. "I… well… Look, I have to tell you something." His voice was quiet, laced with traces of pain. "I know where the Plague-"

The door slammed open and the light flickered on. "What is going on here? I woke up, thinking I heard Rikku shouting and Gippal was gone." It was Effram. It was obvious he just woke up- his blond hair was atrocious. His eyes flickered to Gippal, suspicious. "What are you doing in her room in the middle of the night?" He didn't see the hole in the wall. The door managed to block the view.

Gippal didn't answer.

"Did you…?" His eyes narrowed. He didn't see the hole in the wall. The door managed to block the view, so there was only one thing he could have come up with. He turned to Rikku. "Did he do anything to you? Did he try to force himself on you or anything?"

"No! no, Gippal's not like that." She rubbed her neck again and then placed her hand on Gippal's knee. "It was…" She paused. What to do? "I- I had a bad dream. A very bad dream." Gently, she coaxed curative magic down Gippal's leg towards his broken foot. She glanced at him. His eyes were finally losing the glossy haze of a body going into shock. "He was just making sure I was okay." Unobtrusively, she put her hands back in her lap. His foot was healed. Which was a good thing, because they wouldn't be able to explain away a broken foot- not with her story of a simple nightmare. She frowned. She could have told Effram the truth. Gippal had the Plague. And it was gone now. So, why didn't she? She glanced at Gippal from the corner of her eye.

"I see…" he didn't look convinced. "Gippal, why don't you just go back to bed?"

"Why should I listen-"

"Gippal, I'll be fine now. Just listen to him," Rikku said, patting his shoulder.

"But… are you sure? I could talk to you about it." He gave her a very pointed look, which she returned with a puzzled one of her own. What was that for?

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, I'll be fine."

He frowned. "All right then. Sleep well." He stood up. "See you in the morning then." And he brushed past Effram.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?" Effram asked worriedly.

She smiled, though not a lot of feeling went into it. "Yes, I'll be fine."

He nodded. "Sleep well then." He reached for the doorknob. "Oh, I would lock my door if I were you." And quietly, he slipped out, closing it behind him.

Rikku took a deep breath, and stood up, locking it as he suggested. She frowned. Her door _had_ been locked. After all, Gippal had this nasty habit of sleepwalking. She rubbed her neck again. He … had been very determined to kill her that evening. And he would have, had her panic not fueled her magic.

She clenched her fists. Who else around her would get the Plague? Her chest tightened with panic. What if it was Barthello next? He looked twice as strong as Gippal- she would be dead before she could wake up! Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. This was not the time to panic.

She pushed a hand through her loose blond hair and glanced across the room, at the hole Gippal made. O'aka would not be too pleased with that development.

''''

When Rikku looked in the mirror the next morning, she wasn't surprised to see dark bruises around her neck. And they weren't the sort that girls would giggle and blush about for the next day or so either. She touched the marks gingerly. She would definitely have to cover those up. Effram would notice.

She rifled through her bag until she found a top with a high neck. It was perfect, serving two purposes: one to hide the bruises and two to keep her warm in the snowy weather. She pulled the shirt over her head, swatting away the strands of hair that floated around her head in a vague halo.

She frowned. "This isn't like me," she murmured, pulling her hair into a ponytail and tiny braids. She finished it off by tying her favorite blue scarf around her head. "Why should I care if they see the bruises. Why did I lie to Effram about Gippal? It's not _that_ big of a deal, right?" So why _did_ she protect him? It wasn't as though he'd get into trouble- though, if he did, it wouldn't hurt. His ego could have been knocked down a notch or two. So why? Why? Perhaps she really liked- '_Ugh! No, stop right there!_' She didn't want to see where that thought led, though she was afraid she already knew.

Hastily, she washed her face and left her room, heading for the front of O'aka's in hope that the others would be waiting for her- which they were.

"We've been waiting for about an hour now, your highness," Effram teased with a smile.

She stuck her tongue out at him. What was with those guys always calling her that?

"Well, we ought to go," Gippal said, glancing between Rikku and Effram with a frown.

O'aka, sensing a business opportunity, bustled his way between the party. "Care to stock up on supplies and gear before you head out?" he asked eagerly. "You never know what you might run into out there."

"Bicro pycdynt, ech'd ra? _:Pushy bastard, isn't he:_"

Effram conceded to buy extra arrows and Gippal threw down some gil for a new box of bullets. O'aka was beside himself with glee. "Thank you for choosing O'aka's!"

"Yeah, like we had a choice," Rikku muttered as they headed out the door.

"We could have camped outside," Barthello pointed out.

"We aren't as adaptive to cold and wet as you are," she replied crisply.

"Someone is moody," Gippal said. "Is it –_ahem_- that time of the-"

"You don't want to finish that sentence." She narrowed her eyes. "And no! I didn't sleep well after that nightmare last night, remember?"

He had the decency to be quiet after that.

They approached the path to Macalania Temple. It was very quiet there. The only sound seemed to be the crunch of snow beneath their feet. Rikku didn't like quiet.

As expected, there was a gaping maw practically splitting the path in half. Rikku crunched over to the edge and peered down. All she saw was endless nothing. "So dizzy…" Her footing faltered and crumbled beneath her.

"Get back from there, you idiot!" Gippal seized her arm and hauled her away from the hole as the ice on which she had been standing disappeared into the pit. "You could have fallen! You need to think, you know!"

She was too busy trying to regain her composure to supply a rude reply.

"How was she supposed to know that it would give way?" Effram demanded, glaring at Gippal.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure that out!"

Barthello squatted next to Rikku, ignoring the other two as they bickered. "Are you okay?"

"Ah… I think."

The ground rumbled beneath their feet. It was as though the path was going to cave in. Rikku staggered to her feet and glanced around. The surrounding cliffs were crumbling. She stumbled backwards towards Gippal and Effram, who had stopped arguing at this recent turn of events. "What's going on?" she shouted over the noise.

"How should we know?" Gippal shouted right back.

She heard a roar over the rumble of falling ice and rock. "Do you hear that?"

"I can't hear anything over all of this noise!" Effram stopped and glanced around. "Wait." The roar grew a bit louder. It was similar to the one an airship might make in passing.

"What is that?" She looked around for the source of the noise. Was it the sound of hundreds of thousands of cracks spreading beneath their feet? Was it the sound of a cave in? The ground shook even harder.

"Uhhh, I think that's your answer!" Barthello bellowed, pointing to a huge, furry head emerging from the maw. Another roar split the air- filled with gnashing teeth and ropes of saliva- and the ground quaked even more.

Rikku groaned. Not again. "Get out of the way, you big, stupid fiend! We're in a hurry here!"

"Get a grip, Rikku! Do you think it's going to say 'Oh, okay!' and sit with us for a cup of tea?" Gippal snapped.

"Prepare yourself!" Effram shouted, slipping an arrow into his crossbow.

Rikku unsheathed her blades, grumbling under her breath. Of all the nerve! Gippal could be so rude.

She turned to the fiend. Curved horns protruded from its mottled, scarlet head. It had fully risen from the maw and was staring at them down a squashed, ugly snout, as if contemplating how it would like to eat them for dinner.

"Okay ugly, you're going down!" She gripped her blades and darted into battle. She dashed around the fiend's massive ankles, slashing and jabbing, never staying in place long enough for the fiend to get a hit in. Brilliantly lit arrows soared through the sky and bullets rained in after them- Effram and Gippal were hard at work. They circled the fiend, shooting at it from different, open angles. Some shots struck- enough to truly irritate the beast…

But where was Barthello? Rikku spared herself a moment to roll her eyes. He probably ran away. He always struck her as rather cowardly.

Unexpectedly, the fiend stumbled backwards. Rikku glanced over her shoulder and stared in shock. Barthello hadn't run away. She watched stupidly as he backed up and charged, barehanded, into the fiend's leg. It stumbled again. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. He was trying to push it over- and doing a good job, considering the beast's size. With a squeak, she jumped out of the way of a wayward paw as the fiend attempted to keep its balance. Those muscles weren't just there for show!

"Keep at it, Barthello!" With a yell, she whirled and slammed her blades into the fiend's ankle. The ground shook with its mighty roar. She was thrown back with the blow as its foot swung into the air. She scowled. Her blades were stuck in its ankle- no use to her there. She grit her teeth and charged back into the rumble, throwing all of her frustration into her attack. Aggressively, she managed to rip the blades from the fiend's ankles. It roared. Strike, tear, strike, tear… Oh yes, this fiend was going to be sorry it ever decided to even stick a hair outside its icy little world.

The fight was surprisingly short. Under the pressure of hailing bullets and arrows and Barthello's pushing, it flailed. It's arms pinwheeled wildly. And then it happened. The fiend's swinging arms brushed past them all, except one. Gippal's breath left in a loud "whoof!" when a passive paw caught him in the middle. He was stunned. He staggered back a step or so. Closer towards the gaping hole in the ice.

"_Gippal, watch out!_"

As if in slow motion, though it only took mere seconds, the flailing arm flung his body into the air and smashed him with unexpected force down into the hole. He didn't even make a sound. Seconds later, the fiend followed.

In an instant, Rikku dropped her bloody blades and ran to the hole screaming, "Gippal!" She dropped to her knees, clutching her bleeding side, and peered over the edge desperately. There was nothing. "Gippal!" she screamed again. He was… he was… Pyreflies swarmed from the hole and she stared at them in horror. "No… _noooo!_" Hot tears burned down her frozen cheeks. He couldn't be… She stood and prepared to jump in after him. He couldn't! She was going to get him back! He couldn't die on her like this!

A pair of hands grabbed her arm and yanked her back as her feet left the ground, nearly pulling her arm out of joint.

"Let me go! I have to go after him! I have to get Gippal back!"

The grip was firm. She looked back and saw Barthello staring forlornly at her. She pulled against him, but it was useless.

"Don't be stupid!" Effram shouted. "You'll die if you fall down there!"

"I survived it once, I can survive it again!" she snarled. "I'm getting him back!"

_CRACK! _

With an enraged squeal, Rikku held her cheek. "You _slapped_ me!"

"I had to knock some sense into you somehow! I'm sorry, but what's happened has happened! Jumping into that damned hole isn't going to bring anyone back to life!"

"But-"

"But nothing! Listen to what I'm saying or so help me I'll…" He made an agitated gesture and grunted.

With a sob, Rikku sank to her knees. She buried her face in her hands, trying to stifle the noise. It wasn't fair!

A pair of arms encircled her. "Cry as much as you need to. It is the only path to feeling better." It was Barthello.

With a choking gasp, she dropped her head on his shoulder and did just that.

……….

_Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It was a bit shorter than the others, but quite action packed if I do say so myself. The fiend battle in particular turned out NOTHING like I had originally planned. Can you guess why? -_

_Jen: I hope you liked this chapter as much as the others! And the odd thing is, you remind me of someone I used to chat with!_

_oOoDancingQueenoOo: Hahah! Well, Gippal nearly did do that, didn't he?_

_Delilah Wigglesworth: laughs I am flattered that you think my story is such a welcome Thank you very much!_

_Cute-kitty: Well, you guessed right! Gippal DID have the Plague (Or was he really just pmsing? -)! He's getting the short end of the stick a lot in this story… I hope that it wasn't too disappointing. _

_Sunday-dreamer: laughs You too guessed correctly! Or hoped correctly, as it may be. I'm glad the cliffie had its desired effect - bwahaha_

_green-eyed-blonde: laughs Barthello hurt, huh? Yeah, he doesn't seem like much in the brains department. He's more like the big, dumb, teddy bear _

_ Pikachu: Well, I hope you didn't go _too_ crazy waiting for this chapter! _

_ Black Eyed Mistress: Oh yes, the threat of homework! Ahhh, the downfall of us all! laughs But I'm glad you were able to find time to read and enjoy my story And yep, you were right, miso soup was the answer And! You aren't the only one of my readers who thinks Effram needs a girl! _

_ PerfectStranger: insert another evil laugh Ah yes, death by cliffies. It does have potential! - And oh dear, reading that thing about Effram made me laugh so hard!_

_ i won't tell: Yay! My story is favorited! And I am loved! I am most flattered! I hope you continue to enjoy this story to the very end._


	16. Chapter 16

Shadow of Darkness

_ Welcome to chapter 16! My, I never expected this story to get this long… Nor me to write this much! Just a small update about chapter 15. It was re-updated (slightly). Not much was changed, I just lengthened it slightly. So, if you feel up to it, re-read it. Either way, it doesn't effect this chapter. And I do apologize, this chapter is both late and shorter than the rest. It was rather difficult to write! laugh _

**Chapter 16:**

It took nearly two hours, but Rikku and Barthello finally restored the path to Macalania Temple. Despite the chill air, they were sweating heavily- that much magic took quite a physical toll.

Rikku plopped down into the snow, wiping her brow as Effram checked the ice for soundness. She gave a melancholy sigh, staring at the path. Gippal was… he was… Tears burned in her eyes, threatening to fall. Hastily, she blinked to keep them at bay. Ice crunched and with a grunt, Barthello plopped heavily beside her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

She frowned and shook her head. "I don't know… Helpless, I guess." She sighed again. "Scared…" She glanced at him. "I- I can't do this. I can't handle it." Her bottom lip quivered. "I'm not strong enough. If- if I were Yunie-" She choked back a sob. "If I were her, this would all be over by now!" And with far less death. She was not cut out for this.

Barthello placed a large, comforting hand on her thin shoulder. "It is true that you're not High Summoner Yuna." She sniffled and glanced at him. "But you must have been chosen for a reason," he pointed out.

"Yeah," she muttered wryly, drying her eyes on her sleeve. "I was chosen because I just happened to be there when Marin died."

"You see. _You_ were the one who found her. Not me or Effram or even some other stranger. There was a reason."

She frowned, looking at him. "Al Bhed don't believe in Fate."

He shrugged. "Simply not believing doesn't extinguish the possibility it _does_ exist. And believing doesn't make it so," he added when she opened her mouth to argue. "Be that as it may… I believe you _were_ chosen for a reason."

Rikku shut her mouth and blinked at him. Barthello was a lot wiser than he let on. She always thought of him as all muscle and no brain… She was thoughtfully quiet on this, looking out as Effram returned.

"She's sound," he said with a smile. "Good job, you two." He cast a sidelong glance at Rikku. "Ready to go?" he asked carefully.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded and pushed herself to her feet. She squared her shoulders, staring ahead. "Let's go. And make sure you're careful up ahead. The ice gets narrow further along the path."

Effram nodded and led the way across the new patch of ice. Barthello followed and Rikku brought up the rear. She cast another glance at the ice. There was a glow beneath the ice- pyreflies were still trying to escape- and she felt compelled to destroy the ice and jump in. Perhaps Gippal had survived. He wouldn't be able to get out if he had… Perhaps…

"Rikku! Step up the pace!"

The shout jarred her senses. Shaking her head, she ran to catch up.

''''

"It's awfully quiet here," Effram murmured as they approached Macalania Temple. He was right. There was not the traditional music or chanting that usually sounded around a temple.

Rikku froze as images of the massacre at Djose flooded her senses. "Er… maybe- maybe we should go back?" she suggested. But Effram and Barthello were already heading in. "Guys?" she pleaded. "Guys, come on!"

But they didn't listen. Into the temple they disappeared.

"Oh dear…" Barthello's voice echoed back to her.

"Oh dear? Oh dear what? _Guys_!" She fidgeted, torn between staying and going to see what happened. But her curiosity finally got the best of her. "I'm going to regret this," she moaned, rushing into the temple.

The first thing she was greeted with was a putrid smell that nearly made her drop. "Ugh! Yeesh, what _is_ that smell?" It was when she caught up with Effram and Barthello that she saw the source of the aroma. It was a sight she had expected… and yet, strangely hadn't. There were bodies strewn across the floor, yet oddly bloodless. She gasped. More Plague?

"They starved," Effram murmured, refuting her theory. He gestured to the corpses and it was then she noticed that they were little more than skin and bone.

She drew in a horrified breath. "But how?"

"The path to the temple was destroyed, as you saw. I doubt any of them were accomplished black mages- the Guado didn't linger, after all."

"And the only ones able to get to them were you Al Bhed," Barthello added, glancing at her. "You know they were too biased to accept help from an Al Bhed."

That made sense, surprisingly. "But… what about the fiends? They could have eaten them," she pointed out. "Right?"

"I'm sure they tried," Effram said thoughtfully. "After all, you may have noticed that, since we passed the broken patch of ice, there have been very few fiends. No doubt they killed off most of them. Unfortunately, the fiends don't stick around to be eaten. They usually turn into pyreflies after they're killed."

"This is awful!" Rikku wailed.

"It's the price you pay for being prejudiced at such a crucial time," he said, kneeling next to one of the decaying bodies.

"We should- we should bury them."

"How? You might not have noticed but the ground is frozen all year round!" he snapped.

"Don't you snap at me!"

"We could cremate the bodies," Barthello suggested, amidst the bickering.

There was silence and then Rikku nodded in agreement.

"We don't have time! We have to investigate your Seymour theory and, if he's not here, we need to make tracks to Zanarkand!" Effram said impatiently.

"Shut up, Effram! We have time for this! You guys can cremate these bodies and I'll look for clues," Rikku snapped, annoyed by his impatience. How could he be so crude?

Barthello nodded and hauled Effram after him before he could argue.

With a sigh, Rikku headed to the entrance to the temple's inner chamber. This would be the room where they killed Seymour- the _first_ time. If he was going to be anywhere (excluding Zanarkand, which seemed to attract all sorts of evil spirits) it would be here. With a deep breath, she pushed the heavy, ornate door open. It creaked, a sound magnified by the utter silence and emptiness of the chamber. Carefully, hesitantly, she stepped into the chamber. She felt as though she was intruding on something sacred.

She harrumphed. There was nothing sacred about this chamber. It was just an elaborately decorated room. She had every right to be in it, considering there were no more Yevonite fanatics lingering to throw her out. Still, she was careful. The heels of her boots made crisp thudding noises as she walked over to the spot Seymour had fallen. She was surprised that she remembered exactly where with such clarity. Kneeling, she touched the cold tiles. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for- just a feeling, some weird realization that this was where he would be found. But she felt nothing of the sort. Nothing but cold stone.

She growled in frustration and slapped her hands onto the ground, wincing as a jolt of pain shot up through her hands to her elbows. Still, it managed to calm her down a bit to think. So, Seymour's spirit didn't linger here.

'_Okay. Well, I still have Zanarkand._' She frowned She had wasted so much time to get to Macalania Temple for nothing! If she had just gone straight to Zanarkand, she would have saved a lot of time end effort. "And Gippal wouldn't have died…" She stood. She would help the guys finish cleaning the temple of corpses and then… Zanarkand.

"No luck?" Effram asked, grunting in exertion as he dragged a body towards the funeral pyre.

She shook her head with a sigh. "Say… Effram," she murmured. "Do you think… do you think its someone _other_ than Seymour?"

He paused, wiping the sweat off his brow. "Eh? But weren't you _convinced_ it was him? What changed your mind?"

She twisted her fingers anxiously. "No, I mean… Well, Gippal kept saying I was wrong, you know? Maybe he was right, you know? Like, maybe…"

"You said it yourself, who else _could_ it be? He's the only one that could have that powerful of a grudge right? That you know of? Barthello, let me get that."

"Who else?" she whispered as he and Barthello took care of the last corpse. Yes, Seymour was her most logical choice. "But who else…?"

''''

"Should we stop at Bevelle?" Effram asked as they headed down the trodden path that would lead them from Macalania Woods.

Rikku cast a glance towards the path forking off the main one- the one to Bevelle. Slowly, she shook her head. If she stopped there, she'd never be able to leave until every last person in Bevelle was cured. "No… we need to get to Zanarkand." Zanarkand was only about two or three days or two away, if one walked at a brisk clip. At that thought, her heart felt heavy in a way it hadn't in years. The end of all of this was waiting for them there. After all, where else _would_ it be? She hugged her arms to her chest. She was afraid. Not that she couldn't do it- she knew she was physically capable- but she was afraid of what would happen to her in the process. Would she die? Worse?

They approached the Calm Lands as the sun was setting. Brilliant shades of golds and reds and violets spilled over the grassy plains, making it look otherworldly. It made Rikku sick to her stomach. She wondered if this was how her cousin felt when she stood on this cliff during her pilgrimage, overlooking the plains, thinking about Zanarkand and the terrible fate that would meet her there.

"There is a Travel Agency down there. Shall we stay the night?" Effram asked as they sat down to rest for a moment.

Rikku shrugged. "Let's see how dark it is by the time we get there." It was a long walk across the plains and the hovercrafts had shut down for the night.

He nodded and, after a moment more of rest, led the way down to the Calm Lands.

As it turned out, they ended up sleeping under the stars near the bridge leading to Mt. Gagazet. None of them had enough gil to afford the outrageous prices the inn was charging. The Calm Lands were peacefully quiet though, with only the sound of a gentle breeze blowing through the long, lush grasses. All the fiends that lingered in the area were rounded up for games and races, so they were safe for the time being.

Rikku stared up at the clear sky. The breeze was cool, tousling her long blond hair carelessly. The sky was clear, brimming with brilliant stars and a sliver of a moon hovered in the corner, glowing silver. It would have been the perfect night for sleeping outside, had she not had to face Zanarkand so soon. She could hardly enjoy it.

Sighing, she rolled onto her side. She sorely wished she knew Effram's sleep trick. It was the one time she could really use it. Unfortunately, she couldn't ask him for it because he was fast asleep. And once Effram was asleep, he was dead to the world. He could probably sleep through the rebirth of Sin, bellowing right in his ears.

"Men…" she muttered grumpily. "Useless when you need them."

"What was that?"

She squeaked, startled. Barthello was still awake! She cleared her throat. "Ah… um… Ah, just thinking about the spells I know. And how-how useless they are when I need them…" She bit her lip. That was a bad cover up even for her.

But he didn't press her on it. She was relieved. Dona was really lucky. Barthello was a good guy.

"You can't sleep?"

She sighed, rolling onto her stomach. "No, not really."

"I have an herb that promotes sleep, if you'd like some," he offered.

She poked her head up from the grass. He was sitting up, rather alert, across the fire from her. "Promotes sleep huh? Then why are you still awake?"

"I haven't taken any. I am standing watch?"

"Standing watch?" She arched a brow skeptically. "Watch for what?"

"Bandits. Or fiends."

"Fiends and bandits? Look Barty-"

"Not Barthy. Barthello, if you please."

"_Barthello_," she stressed, "I don't know if you've noticed but there _are_ no fiends or bandits around here. The park rangers have cleared it out."

"You never know," he said solemnly.

Rikku clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. Did he really think they were going to be assaulted? '_Honestly, overprotective much?_'

Barthello tossed her a small vial. "Here, take this."

She sighed and uncorked the vial. "Cheers," she murmured, knocking back a bitter liquid. She made a fierce face. "Nasty…" And suddenly, her eyes were getting heavy. '_I can't believe it… it worked._' And less than a minute later, she was fast asleep.

''''

It was near noon when Rikku finally woke up. She sat up groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The Calm Lands were thriving with the sound of chattering birds and folk enjoying the various games. She glanced around in a sort of daze, absently pulling grass from her tangled hair. Barthello was asleep across the dying fire, sitting up. '_Don't know how he can do _that.' She frowned. Now where was Effram? The only sign that he had been with him was the matted grasses where he had been sleeping. And surely… he wouldn't let her sleep that long? Not when an important mission was at hand.

Getting up and stretching, she went to wake Barthello. He gave a startled snort and opened his eyes, looking around, rather puzzled.

"When did I fall asleep?" He looked rather funny with broken grass clinging to his short hair.

Rikku ignored this as a stupid question. "Do you happen to know where Effram is? He didn't say anything about leaving to you, did he?"

The big man shook his head. "Not that I recall. He was here this morning." He looked perplexed. "I must have fallen asleep after that. I don't remember falling asleep…"

"Enough, Barthello…." She sighed. This was an unexpected problem. _Where_ could Effram have gone? Should she wait for him? But there was no telling when or even _if_ he would return. She voiced her concerns.

"We could wait for an hour- after all, he could be betting something to eat… or something. And if he doesn't return, we could just leave without him."

"I guess we could do that." She sighed and pulled her knees to her chest. She _really _hoped nothing serious had happened to Effram. She couldn't deal with another loss. Of course, she was also compelled to beat the crap out of him if nothing _had_ happened to him. He would deserve it if he left without a word! With another sigh, she settled down to wait.

…………………..

_iceclown: I'm glad you liked the last chapter._

_A-RIKKUGIPPALfan: laughs Well, I'm glad you liked the story! I would have liked more fluff between Rikku and Gippal but alas… That is not how it turned out! Though I must say, you are not the only one convinced that Gippal must still be alive! _

_lemy: Oh dear, lol! I hadn't intended to make Gippal seem weak and useless… but I suppose that's how he came off, hmm? grin Ah well, I am glad you still enjoy the story!_

_Cute-Kitty: Ahhh! Do not kill me! Laughs if you do, you will not know the end of the story! _

_Change in Paradigm: meep My goodness, all of my readers are having quite a violent reaction to Gippal's death! laughs_

_Fanfic-Lover: laughs Oh dear, your reviews bring a smile to my face! Well, it was very difficult to kill Gippal but at the last minute, I had changed my mind. The death was originally supposed to befall another character._

_i won't tell: It is curious that you say you don't like Effram. grin And many of my readers don't want to believe Gippal's dead. I am glad you like this story so much and I hope this chapter is as good as the others _

_oui: I appreciate your comments _

_fallenAngel: Well, Gippal fell into a gaping maw with a fiend laughs I'm glad you enjoy the story!_

_Black Eyed Mistress: Yes, I too felt like Gippal's death was a bit rushed, once I re-read the chapter. It was a difficult scene to write! Anyway, I did add a little more, as you'll probably know if you read the author's note over this chapter. I don't know if it made it any better, but it did make it more detailed. I'm glad you enjoy this story so much! I hope that the next chapter won't take so long to write. _

_xInsanoBananax: It was very hard to do, but that was part of the reason why he had to die! … And my, I just sounded really cruel there, didn't I? laughs_


	17. Chapter 17

**Shadow of Darkness**

_It's about time Chapter 17 came around, eh? I do apologize for it taking so long. The story is just getting so intense, I want to write it properly! _

**Chapter 17:**

Rikku spotted Effram crossing the Calm Lands with a white bag in hand several minutes before he actually arrive at the camp, which gave her plenty of time to notice he was perfectly fine. And to get very angry.

"Where the hell were you!" she shrilled, stalking out to meet him. "Shopping? You went _shopping!_"

"For food, I'll have you know," he replied crisply.

"_This long_? And you couldn't be bothered to tell us!

"Hey!" he snapped. "I tried to wake you up but you wouldn't be budged, so don't go yelling at me! And it took so long because the place was swarming with tourists. This place _has_ been turned into a theme park, you know!" He thrust the bag into her hands.

"Well… you could've left a note!"

"I didn't think of that, so ex_cuse _me!"

She glared at him. With a grunt, she sat down and peered into the bag. There were a few packs of quick meals and three flasks of water 'Straight from Besaid!' But surprisingly (or perhaps not so), she wasn't hungry. She stuffed a packed of food and a water flask into her small sack and turned to Effram and Barthello.

"Let's go. We need to get to Zanarkand soon." It irked her that they would've been halfway through Mt. Gagazet by now, had they not needed to wait on Effram. She made a noise of frustration.

"What?" Barthello asked, bent half over with a bag dangling from his fingers.

"Nothing. Let's go." But she was forced to wait on the men as they finished their packing. '_Cripes, they're so _slow!' But finally, they were on their way.

In no time at all, they reached the foot of Mt. Gagazet. And where Rikku was expecting cold, she got warmth instead. Strangely enough, most of the snow that had been at the foot of the mountain the other times she had visited… was gone. Barthello and Effram didn't seem as surprised, but she doubted either one of them had eve been this far. With a thoughtful frown, she approached the Ronso standing guard at the entrance to the mountain's path. He- or was it a she?- looked absolutely miserable in the warmer climate and she didn't blame him (her?). All that fur must have made the heat sweltering. Off-handedly, she wondered if the Ronso ever shed their fur. She would have giggled at the thought of a half-bald Ronso, had she not been so concerned with the change in climate.

"Excuse me. Can you tell me what happened here? Oh! Kimhari! Up close, she finally recognized the guard as one of her cousin's former Guardian. "What are _you_ doing?" She arched a brow. "Aren't you the elder? Why do you have guard duty?"

Kimhari nodded at her in recognition. "Elder must work as his people work. Else others will not respect Elder. Will distrust Elder." He scrutinized her companions. "Kimhari does not know." He pointed to Effram.

With a nod, he introduced himself. "I'm training Rikku until she gets to Zanarkand."

"That is where you think Plague is?" Kimhari asked.

"You know then?"

"Kimhari knows. Kimhari not see Plague, but Lulu tell Kimhari Yuna is sick. Rikku will fix it." He gave her a steadying look. "Kimhari knows this."

She sighed heavily. "I wish Rikku had the same confidence. She glanced around. "So, what happened here? Where is all the snow?"

"Fayth are gone," he explained. "Clouds shrouding sacred Mt. Gagazet thin, as Rikku knows. Sunlight melt snow, causes temperatures to rise." He paused. "And Ronso to get very hot."

Rikku managed a light giggle. "Where are the other Ronso?"

"Further up mountain where snow not melt yet."

She gazed up at the mountain. "So, it's still snowy up there?" Kimhari nodded. "Well, no one ever said going to Zanarkand was a day in the park." She turned to him. "Will you let us go on?"

"Kimhari will permit Rikku and companions to pass."

"Thanks." She turned to head up the mountain pass with Barthello and Effram when Kimhari pulled her back.

"Rikku is not all right. She pretends, but Kimhari sees."

"I'm fine, Kimhari. I… I can be as strong as Yunie, you know."

"Yuna pretend too." He sighed and glanced at the men, who waited for her at the first bend in the pass. "Rikku must be careful. Kimhari sense anger on blond companion."

"Effram? He's just mad because I yelled at him for going out for food without telling us."

Kimhari sighed. "Rikku still be careful. It is okay to be afraid."

"Don't worry, I have a _lot_ of fear right here." She held a hand over her heart. "Well, I will see you later. I hope." And she ran to catch up with the guys. But just as a precaution, she pretended to stumble into Effram. There was no flicker of darkness and she sighed in relief. At least, for the time being, he was Plague-free.

''''

By the time they had reached the caves that pierced Mt. Gagazet, Rikku was frozen through. Kimhari had been right. Snow still lingered closer to the mountain's peak and it was colder than ever!

"Do you want to rest?" Effram asked as they entered the cave, when he noticed her teeth were chattering and she was bouncing on the balls of her feet trying to get warm.

She shook her head vigorously. "I few stop, I don't think I'll want to move again." She rubbed her frozen nose and continued. "The road to Zanarkand is just on the other side of this cave, anyway. And it'll be warmer out there."

"Ah, but do you remember how to get there?" he asked skeptically.

"Of course. I think. Just… Come on, let's go."

"I've never been to Zanarkand," Barthello said thoughtfully.

"That's nice," she muttered as they reached a fork in the caves. Now, which way was it? She chewed her bottom lip. Oh, how she wished she could remember!

"You don't know the way," Effram said matter-of-factly.

"Shut up! I just… look, let's go this way. I'll know soon enough if it's the wrong way." And she stalked down the path she chose.

"Deep calming breath, Rikku," Barthello interjected.

"I am calm!" she snapped. "I'm just tired of that bird brain-" she thrust a finger at Effram, "-getting on my case all the time!"

"Well excuse me if I'm impatient to get to Zanarkand and end all this!" Effram grumbled in return.

Barthello looked thoughtfully between the two. "Rikku, why do you like to argue so much?"

"What! Not you _too_!" She groaned. "I _don't_ like to argue. I'm just- I'm just frustrated! And this is the wrong way!" With a sigh, she whirled on her heel and began stalking in the opposite direction.

"I think she likes to argue," Barthello murmured to Effram.

"I heard that!

''''

"Oh, we're finally _out_!" Rikku exclaimed breathlessly as she collapsed outside the exit of the cave. After two wrong turns and a heated argument between her and Effram, Zanarkand was finally in sight.

She stared out at the ancient ruins. It was hard to believe that this place had once been a completely different world, full of machines and wonder. She sighed. The Al Bhed would have fit perfectly in such a world.

"It's incredible," Barthello breathed, stepping up next to her.

"I know." And if she could stand utter silence, the ruins of Zanarkand would have been her favorite place to be.

Effram came up on her other side. "Do you want to camp here?"

She shook her head, getting to her feet. "There should be a campsite near the entrance of Zanarkand. If I want to rest, I'll decide there." After a brief stretch, she led the way down the winding path to the ruined city.

About halfway to Zanarkand, Rikku became aware of an odd chittering noise. She frowned. What _was_ that? Barthello and Effram dismissed her concerns, but what did _they_ know? Neither had ever been to Zanarkand. And, as far as she knew, there were never any _chit-chit-chits_ on her last trips.

It was when they arrived in Zanarkand- shortly after sunset- that they discovered the source of the noise. Squatter monkeys! Hundreds and hundreds of furry white and brown monkeys scampered over the grounds. The party stared in disbelief.

"What the hell?" Barthello murmured. "What are all these monkeys doing here? These are sacred grounds!"

"Well…" Rikku gave a sheepish smile, knowing that she was one of the one's responsible for this developing monkey society. "Pops- I mean, my dad wanted to turn this place into a tourist attraction and well… Yunie and I didn't like that so much, so we…"

"Helped the monkeys get busy?" Effram asked, smirking.

"Well, it worked. There are no more tourists."

"Yeah, because the ground is alive with monkeys."

"You're always so negative, Effram." She stretched again, smothering a yawn.

"Did you want to rest here?" he asked.

"I want to," she said with a sigh, "But there is no way we'll be able to sleep with all these monkeys making this racket." Though she was disappointed with this, she supposed it was for the best. Perhaps they would find the Plague Master that much sooner.

Carefully, she picked her way across the monkey-infested grounds. She would head for the so-called chamber of the fayth, where they once fought Lady Yunalesca in an attempt to refute the summoner's sacrifice in order to defeat Sin. And hopefully, she would find her answers there.

"So many _happy_ memories," she muttered sarcastically.

"What was that?" Effram asked.

"Er, just talking to myself." She flushed and walked ahead.

It was a long walk across Zanarkand, silent except for the casual chatter between the monkeys. Rikku wasn't sure if that creeped her out more than utter silence or not.

She glanced through the debris, rusty, decrepit, and covered in monkey droppings. This wasn't how Zanarkand should be treated either. She wanted to see this great machina city how it was over 1000 years ago, in its prime- majestic and powerful, full of life and activity every moment!

"Do you know what you're looking for?" Barthello asked, interrupting her train of thought..

She shook her head. "Not a clue," she admitted. "But…. I_ think_ I'll know it when I see it." She drew in an exhausted breath. _If_ she'd see it. She was beginning to doubt she'd ever find the Plague Master.

They entered the crumbling coliseum. Rikku paused before the debris-strewn staircase. This was it. Here she would find out once and for all whether or not she was right. "Seymour! I'm coming for you!" she shouted. Her voice echoed eerily throughout the room.

"Don't you think it's strange that there are no monkeys in here?" Barthello asked.

"No monkeys?" she repeated blankly. She glanced around. "Hmm… you're right."

His head whipped around suddenly and he looked worried. "What's that sound?"

Effram frowned, looking around as well. "It sounds like growling."

"Growling?" Rikku groaned. "Oh come on! Don't tell me…"

"Yep."

"Another fiend?"

"Looks like it."

From the shadows of the coliseum, a translucent fiend emerged. A shriek filled the stairway.

"Isn't there any way we can get around it?" Rikku shouted over the maddening noise.

"Don't think so!" Effram shouted in return. Already, he was loading his crossbow with a shimmering arrow.

"But I don't know any magic against spirit fiends!"

"You never know until you try! Anyway, the least you can do is distract it!" he said, loosing the arrow and setting up another.

Rikku made an anxious noise, unsheathing her daggers. "Great. I'm gonna be the decoy…" She ran after Barthello, using him as her shield as long as she cold. She hated spirit fiends. They couldn't be hurt by ordinary means- and she didn't know the unordinary ones. And boy, _its_ assault would certain pack a mean punch.

Though she knew it was useless, she plunged her blades into the ghostly fiend's ribcage. The fiend screamed in irritation, annoyed that she had breached its defenses. The scream nearly made her ears bleed. As it was, she stumbled back as if she'd been hit. The fiend clawed at her violently.

"Don't you claw at me!" she yelled. She unleashed a moderate fire spell. It did nothing more than give the fiend a small burn and increase its anger tenfold. She danced back and suddenly, she felt her body become heavy. It felt as though she was wading through the knee-deep sands of the Sanubia Desert. '_Dammit, it used a spell to slow me down! I hate magic-wielding fiends!_'

The spirit fiend lashed out again and this time she was unable to rely on her agility to get her out of harm's way. The claws caught her in the side, tearing into her flesh, and it flung her into the air, reeling end over end. She crashed down painfully into a pile of rubble. She was motionless for a moment before she remembered to breath. Her body wracked with coughs in an attempt to recover the breath that had been knocked out of her. She sat up, dizzy and nauseous, and felt something warm trickling down her side. '_Ugh… I can't be injured… not now!_'

She staggered to her feet and glanced around. Barthello was unconscious several feet away from her. '_How did he get that way? I never even saw him fighting…_' Perhaps he had chickened out and fainted. Effram, on the other hand, still stood, unleashing arrow after arrow.

'_Got to help!_' Clumsily, she made her way over the rubble, gripping her bleeding side tightly.

A bright flash nearly blinded her and she flailed, falling back into the rubble. Stars exploded before her eyes as she hissed in agony when the fall tore the wound open just a little more. It took a moment for her vision to clear, but when it did, she found herself surrounded by swarms of pyreflies. Effram had defeated the fiend. Man, that guy was strong…

"Rikku? Barthello?" he called.

"Over," she winced, "Over here."

Effram stumbled over the debris. "Well, I'll be damned. You're still alive."

She gave a wry smirk. "I don't die so easily, unfortunately." She winced and attempted to get to her feet.

"You're hurt."

"You think?" She grabbed onto his shoulder for support. "Heal me up, will you?"

"I can't."

"What do you mean? Of course you can."

"My last attack used up all my energy reserves. Right now, I can't cast a single spell. If another spirit fiend attacked, I'd be useless."

"Great," she muttered. "I'll just bleed freely on the floor then."

He rolled his eyes and then glanced back to see Barthello's body sprawled across the floor. "What's wrong with him, did you see?"

She shook her head. "Maybe he fainted. Maybe he's scared of ghosts. Wouldn't surprise me any."

"Should we revive him?"

"I don't have anything on me to wake him up."

He frowned. "Neither do I." He sighed. "Well, shall we just leave him then and continue on?"

"I guess. Can't think of anything better to do anyway." She drew in a pained breath. "And that _is_ why we're here." Leaning on Effram for support, she guided him and herself into the building.

It wasn't long before she began to feel light headed. Her hand was covered in blood and her shirt was drenched with it. She paused part way into the ruins' inner chamber and pulled her sweater from her pack. With Effram's help, she made a sort of makeshift bandage out of the fabric and wrapped it around her waist. It didn't stop the blood flow- they were soaked in moments- but she hoped it would slow the bleeding down a bit soon.

Rikku smirked faintly as she and Effram stepped onto the platform that would transport them to the building's innermost chambers. "I've ruined a lot of clothes on this journey." She sighed. "If I make it out of her, I'm going on a super shopping spree."

Effram chuckled. "An adventure all on its own."

"But I'd like it a lot more than this one."

The platform jolted when it reached the bottom level. Rikku swallowed hard. This was it. She staggered unsteadily onto the small bridge and they headed into the first chamber.

"Are you okay?" Effram asked.

"I feel dizzy," she whimpered. "I feel like I'm gonna barf."

"Do you think you'll be able to do your magic if you have to?"

She shook her head no. If she opened her mouth, she probably _would_ barf.

"Do you still want to go on?"

She nodded firmly.

He sighed and helped her through a shimmering curtain of light that led to the final chamber they sought. Rikku looked up and squinted at the hole where Lady Yunalesca 'died' for the final time. Or, more precisely, she looked above it.

"What- what _is_ that?"

Hovering over the black abyss was a glowing portal. It made her think of the light pyreflies cast.

"It… it's where the Plague Master is," Effram replied with conviction.

Rikku clenched her jaw, either from pain or determination- she herself didn't know. "Let's go."

They crossed the chamber and approached the portal. With a deep breath, the two of the stepped into the eerie light. Rikku felt as though she was walking through a dream. It felt cold and heavy and they were immersed in brilliant lights, but there was no sound and they moved with surprising speed. Then, just as suddenly as they entered the portal, they exited.

Rikku released her grip on Effram in surprise. On quaking legs, she turned slowly as she took in the foreign surroundings. The portal had vanished. The sky above was a uniform iron gray and harsh lightening flickered in the distance. A light breeze ripple through her hair as she turned again. Boulders were scattered across the ground, seemingly haphazard, but she was observant enough to notice a specific pattern. There was a pile of bones underneath one boulder. She shivered, feeling sick again. Human bones. She turned again and her jaw dropped. Erected in the middle of this structured mess was an enormous, crimson cross. Beveled and polished, it looked like an enormous precious gem. But what she saw next stunned her even more. A body hung from the cross, its arms and legs bound by ribbons of crimson stone. She wobbled forward in disbelief. She'd recognize that blond head of hair anywhere.

"G-Gippal?" she cried, uncertain whether she was just seeing things or not. Perhaps she was hallucinating. She lost so much blood after all… She felt an arm go around her waist and hold her up. She glanced over to see Effram and then looked back at the cross.

The body's head moved and a face with a familiar eye patch appeared. "Rikku…" He shook his head and yelled hoarsely, "_Rikku, it's a trap!_"

…………………..

_green-eyed-blonde: haha! Obsess all you want 'Tis okay! Well, this chapter didn't get out so soon but I hope you enjoy it!_

_OOoRikku4EveroOo: A lot of people want poor Gippy back! And it looks like you've got him! Or do you? _

_Cute-Kitty: I wrote I wrote! -grin- Oh, there is much to speculate about the Plague Master! _

_XInsanoBananax: Well, I'm glad you will return for this chapter! This chapter achieves some interesting developments!_

_A-RIKKKUGIPPALFAN-A: I don't know! Is Gippal dead? Is the Gippal Rikku sees a hallucination? Or a trap in and of itself? –evil grin-_

_Jen: A lot of people hope he's still alive! My, I was starting to worry that my readers would come after me with machetes and the Macarena song on endless repeat! Ahhh! True torture –laughs-_

_BrightFire15: A lot of people think something fishy is going on with Effram! It makes me very curious. And thank you for the compliments._

_lemy: -laughs- well, I'm glad you loved the chapter! I hope you love this one as well!_


	18. Chapter 18

**Shadow of Darkness**

_Oh dear…I do truly apologize for the lateness of this chapter. It was VERY difficult to write. Everything I came up with at first was changed and I was fighting with various plots because it all felt rushed, but I think (I hope, actually ; ) you all will enjoy it. _

**Chapter 18:**

"Wh-what… trap?" Rikku stammered. She suddenly felt nauseous. Of course it was a trap. Gippal was dead! She saw him fall with her own eyes. '_But you didn't actually _see_ him die, did you?_' a small voice asked inside her head. No, no, no! He was dead! He… had to be.

Gippal- was it a fake? She didn't know anymore- was still shouting at her to get out of there.

There was a great sigh in her ear. "I think you've shouted quite enough, Gippal."

She froze. No… She turned her head. "E-Effram?" He had to be kidding… this was a sick joke, right?

Effram was looking at the body on the cross. "Watch, your highness, as your boyfriend dies another death." He muttered a word under his breath and sparks of white-hot lightening raced up the crimson cross. Gippal let out an all too real yell as the lightening washed over his skin.

"_No!_" Rikku screamed. "Effram, _stop it!_ What are you doing? Snap out of it!" In vain, she struggled to get out of his grip.

"Snap out of what?" he asked, deceitfully pleasant. "You sense no darkness on me, do you?" He gripped her wounded side and her vision flared red with pain.

"Then… why…?" she asked weakly.

He sighed. "Rikku, Rikku, Rikku… Why else? The two of you were getting in my way. I couldn't let you stop me. I wish I didn't have to, but I have work to do." He released her side and, grabbing her arms, shoved her up against one of the boulders. "Do you see now?"

"Then it was _you_…" she wheezed, trying to draw in a breath.

"Yes… it's about time you realize it wasn't Seymour. I didn't realize you would be so oblivious, but it helped me get you here, so I thank you. Since you know it all now," he flexed his fingers, "you can die."

Before she could even process what he'd said, an icy wave washed over her, chilling her to the core. Darkness threatened to overcome.

"No…" she croaked. "Effram… stop…." This couldn't be happening. Her ears rang, drowning out the sound of Effram's voice, insisting she give up, insisting she die. Every nightmare she'd ever witnessed ripped to the surface of her mind. The destruction of Home, Sin's assault on the ship that took her mother's life, the destruction of the Machine Faction of Djose… Rage filled her. It was all at the hands of the filthy Yevonites! They had to die, all of them!… No, not them… And as fervently as she loathed the Yevonites, she suddenly loathed herself. She deserved to die! _She_ helped guard a summoner. She betrayed her own people. She was a traitor and traitors deserved nothing short of death! Her hands trembled over the handles of her daggers. She had to die!

'_Do you?_' a small voice in the back of her mind suddenly spoke up. Why should she die? Whether or not the Yevonites were cruel, they needed her help. She couldn't just abandon someone in need-

Die! Rikku cried out in pain as though the thought seized her physically. But the pain cleared her mind, if only for a moment. "No!" she shrieked, breaking the hold of the darkness. With a mighty wrench, she pulled free of Effram's hold and held her fists out to keep him back. "_I trusted you!_"

"I know. It is unfortunate. Did anyone ever tell you that you were too trusting?"

"Stay back!"

"Or what?" In a swift moment, he elbowed her injured side and grabbed a hold of her arm. Another wave of darkness washed over her.

It was easier to resist this time. She turned the rage that filled her against him in a powerful fire spell.

Effram gave a startled yell, dancing back. He avoided any serious burns, but it was singed. He glowered at her.

"You thought I wouldn't fight back!" she snarled. "How stupid are you?"

"Oh, _now_ you think you can mess with me?"

"Shut up! I trusted you! That old guy Deek- _he_ trusted you? How could you betray that!"

"The same way they betrayed me! This second-class existence is no life for the Al Bhed! I would have left you alone, but no, you had to stick your nose in business where it didn't belong! So …" he looked particularly proud. "So I trained you and earned your trust…"

"You … you trained me to kill you," she said, staring at him. Was he insane? '_Of course he is, if he's trying to destroy all of Spira like this…_'

"Kill me? Ha! If you can." He looked awfully relaxed being near someone he trained to kill him.

"What do you mean if I can? Of course… of course I… can."

He sighed and shook his head. "You see, your highness-"

She clenched her fists. "Don't you call me that…" she growled. Though it hadn't bothered her before, now the nickname she hated was being sullied every time he said it. Only Gippal could get away with calling her that.

"I know your type," he went on, ignoring her. He circled her like a vulture with its eye on fresh killed prey. "You are the sort who values a life, even the one that screwed you over." His eyes narrowed. "You disgust me."

"The one who's disgusting is _you_!" Through the time he had talked, she had slowly, slowly been edging her way away from the boulders. In one quick motion, she hauled her blades from their holsters and slammed into him, arms flying. She managed to gouge a deep cut in his arm before he kicked her feet from beneath her.

"You could've been spared, you know. I don't like to kill my own people." He readied his crossbow.

Rikku scrambled back weakly, gripping her side as it bled freely once again. She couldn't get her feet beneath her. Her heart was in her throat. This was it. She was going to die. '_Man… I don't wanna die here…_' She wanted…

Effram smirked, leveling the crossbow. "Any last requests?" he asked.

"Last requests…" Rikku paused. "I don't suppose you'll honor my request to stay alive."

"Nice try, but you know too much. I'll give you another shot though. Any last request?"

She gripped her bleeding side. Whether he shot her or she was going to bleed to death, she was going to die here anyway. There was really only one thing she could think of- though she didn't know why she thought of it in the first place. Perhaps it was all the blood loss. Well, what the hell? It wouldn't hurt.

She took a deep breath and looked in the direction of the cross. "Gippal, I-" Then she stopped and stared blankly at the jewel.

"Come on, I don't have all day here. Hurry up, or I'll kill you anyway."

She simply stared.

Effram frowned and lowered his crossbow. He glanced over his shoulder to see what she was staring at so stupidly. "What the hell are you-" Then he, too, stared. "What? Where the hell did he go?" He swore violently under his breath. Gippal's body no longer dangled from the cross. In fact, it was nowhere in sight. The stone that bound him appeared to be broken.

Rikku came to her senses first and lashed her foot out at Effram's ankles, knocking them out from under him. She used his fall to her advantage and took off running in the direction of the cross. It seemed to be her only escape, for the time being. Adrenaline kept her going- it was the only thing that kept her going.

She reached the cross, drawing in painfully labored breaths. Where was he? Did he really die this time? She saw no pyreflies… "Gippal?"

She heard a yell of anger. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Effram had gotten to his feet and was tearing off after her.

"Oh no oh no," she moaned. She should have killed him when she knocked him flat. But Effram was right. She couldn't kill him. He had been her friend- or so she thought. She started to run again, but it hurt a lot more this time around. '_Oh man oh man, I'm really gonna die this time!_'

She rounded an expanse of bounders and, without warning, she went flailing to the ground with a loud 'oomph!' As suddenly as she had fallen, something seized her ankle and, with a mighty pull she was dragged into a narrow crevice between the boulders. She nearly screamed in fright when a hand clamped firmly over her mouth.

"Don't scream. He'll hear you," a hoarse voice whispered in her ear.

She looked up. "Gippal?" she squeaked, though it came out more like "Gigah?" She looked at the hand grasping her ankle. It was furry and very likely blue. Kimhari too? How did he get in this place?

"Can you be quiet?" Gippal asked.

She nodded and he uncovered her mouth. "I thought you'd died!" she whispered anxiously. "What's going on here?"

"Shh…"

Kimhari scooted around Gippal and Rikku to block them from any potential view as Effram walked by. He peered into the darkened crack and stayed there for a long time. Rikku clamped her hands over her mouth for fear that her breathing would give them away. But, apparently, he saw and heard nothing so he walked off.

They waited a minute and then she, Gippal, and Kimhari let out a collective breath of relief.

"What happened?" She glanced at Kimhari. "And how did he get in here?"

"Kimhari follow Rikku," the Ronso grumbled quietly. "Not trust friend." He gave her a severe look. "Kimhari saw 'friend' injure Barthello and knew something would happen to Rikku. Kimhari was right. Rikku did not listen."

She gave a melancholy sigh. "I know…" Finally, she turned to Gippal. "I thought- I thought you had died."

"I thought so too," he muttered.

"I saw the fiend push you in, though!"

He shook his head. "The fiend didn't. Effram did. It was just timed right." He was silent for a moment, listening for Effram's footsteps. Then he continued. "I fell and broke my leg again." He glared at the offending limb, which looked a bit crooked, as if someone didn't bother to set it before healing it. "I guess I fell unconscious because when I next opened my eyes, I was stuck on that red… thing."

"Cross," Rikku replied absently. "But why did he push you? He should've pushed me. That would've ended all of this real quick."

"Well, I came up with three possibilities. First, I figured out that _he_ was the one controlling the Plague. I knew when he gave it to me. He knew, too, when you cured me, even though neither of us said anything. Two, he figured out what I knew all along. _You_ can't kill what you'd befriended."

She sighed. "I wish I could change that… It'd be really useful right about now."

Gippal snorted. "Like you'd ever change." She swatted him. "Anyway, he knew that, even if you died, I'd still be around to kick his ass." Then he smiled. "And three, you're in love with me."

"Love you? Excuse me?"

"Don't deny it." He smirked. "Effram probably figured that if you saw me die, you'd be more susceptible to the Plague."

She grunted didn't respond further to the love comment. He might have been right. '_Damn him_.' She shook her head. "What do you mean that I'd be more susceptible to the Plague?"

He blinked at her. "You didn't figure it out? The Plague feeds off your personal agonies." He sighed. "That was how he got me. He killed everyone at Djose."

"But they were Al Bhed! He's doing all of this because he wants…" It dawned on her. "He wants the Al Bhed to be the master race!"

"Don't you get it? He'll do what he must to get what he wants, even if it means sacrificing his own people."

He had a point. She frowned. "But how did he give you the Plague?"

"When we were fighting in the Den of Woe. He wasn't healing me, he was infecting me."

Rikku groaned. They had to get out of this place.

"You can't hide from me forever!" came a shout.

"We don't intend to," Gippal muttered. Suddenly, he grabbed Rikku's belt.

She gave a startled squeak at the feel of his hands on her skin. "What the hell do you think you're doing, _banjand_ _:pervert:_? Let go!" This was no time for him to get a rise out of danger.

"_Banjand…_" He suppressed a laugh. "Oh how dirty. Well, I'm game if you are."

"Not on your life!"

"Pity." He pulled the daggers from her belt. "Anyway, you have the wrong idea, see? I'm unarmed. And you're okay at magic- which I can't do. And… well, I've never fought with blades, but I'll manage. Now follow me." He began to crawl towards the crevice entrance.

"You're such an idiot," Rikku muttered, crawling after him. Kimhari was close behind.

"I know. One of my many charms."

Even out of the crevice, they crawled along the very edge of the boulders, an odd procession of boy, girl, and furry blue feline that would have been amusing in any other situation.

Gippal stopped before a wide gap between the boulders and motioned for the others to do the same. "If we can sneak up on him, it would be to our advantage."

"I suppose the same would go for me, should I sneak up on _you_," a voice said behind them.

Rikku whirled on her knees, combining a startled squeak with a wince of pain as the gravel ripped her knees. She found herself staring down the length of Effram's crossbow.

"It's about time you came out. And it looks like you have a friend too," he said, noting Kimhari.

"Effram, why are you doing this?" she asked, desperate to buy some time.

"Oh, like I'm going to sit down with a cup of tea and start on an informative monologue," Effram replied. "I'm sorry, but I have you on the ropes. I can't give you a chance to get away."

"Rikku, get behind me," Gippal muttered.

"Wha-"

"I said get behind me, dammit!"

"Quite manly of you, Gippal, for certain. I'd have thought you'd want to sacrifice Rikku or the blue carpet over yourself."

Kimhari growled menacingly while Gippal grunted, "Yeah, well I'm not you."

"Now, don't give me that. I have the upper hand here and my temper can be quite volatile."

Behind them, Kimhari roared in rage.

"Oh man!" Rikku squeaked. "Duck!" She grabbed Gippal's arm and hauled him to the ground.

"What the-?" Fireballs burst over their heads, straight towards Effram.

"Run!" Kimhari bellowed as Effram contended with the fireballs.

Rikku and Gippal clambered to their feet and took off. Moments later, Kimhari caught up with them. Arrows soared over their heads in pursuit.

"He's really trying to kill us, isn't he?" Gippal huffed.

"You _think_?" was all Rikku could spare for a retort.

"What the hell did he do back there anyway?" he asked, gesturing to Kimhari.

"Ronso secret technique, number four!"

"Wha?"

"Inside joke."

"Glad you can joke at a time like this…"

"It's a gift."

As they ran, it became apparent that Rikku was starting to lose stamina. '_I can't do this… not now!_' She tried to push herself harder, but the effort made her physically ill. She had lost too much blood- she was faltering.

"Don't slow down now!" Gippal shouted, dodging the falling arrows as he ran.

"I'm… not," she wheezed. She collapsed next to the ruby cross. The ground seemed to spin beneath her feet.

"Rikku!" Gippal and Kimhari turned and ran back to her. "What happened?" Gippal demanded. Then he caught sight of her bleeding wound. He muttered curses under his breath. "How did you get that? Effram?"

She shook her head. "Fiend," she gasped.

"Oh man… oh man oh man… Can you get up?"

"I – I think-" She fainted.

Gippal grimaced. "I'll take that as a no."

Kimhari suddenly growled low. Gippal guessed the reason for the Ronso's irritation, but he looked over his shoulder anyway. Effram had his crossbow trained on them.

"Well, I think we've taken this game far enough. It's time you give up."

Gippal and Kimhari made themselves a barricade between him and Rikku.

"Give up, my ass," Gippal retorted.

"You may as well. I see Rikku is unconscious. There is no way you could hope to defeat me. Besides the fact that she is the only one of you lot who knows the spell to finish me off, you two will be too busy protecting her to put in a good effort fighting me." His finger rested on the crossbow's trigger. "Now, who will be first? I won't be choosy."

Kimhari snarled in response. "For hurting others, Kimhari hurt _you_." With an agile leap, he soared into the air and crashed down, slamming his spear… into the ground. Effram had managed to skirt out of the Ronso's way. The ground split where the blow struck. Kimhari growled, annoyed.

"Hey, Ronso guy. Stand watch over Rikku. I want to be the one to send this guy straight to hell!" Kimhari paused and then, finally nodded in agreement. They switched places. "And you have to teach me those tricks sometime."

Kimhari simply harrumphed. "Fight."

Effram wasted no time in waiting for the two to complete their switch. He'd loosed an arrow in Rikku's direction and was already prepared to fire another.

Gippal, however, would not put up with long range fighting when he was stuck with a short-range weapon. '_Let's see how good you are at hand-to-hand._' He charged towards Effram without a second thought. He plowed hard into the man, knocking the crossbow from his hands, and the two men tumbled to the ground, fists flying.

Effram was more adept at close-quarter combat than Gippal had expected, but his style was too clean, too structured. It didn't give much protection against Gippal's own dirty tactics. He was unable to block at least half of his blows.

Gippal smirked, dodging Effram's fist, and slamming his own into the man's mouth. "You're going to have to fight a lot dirtier than this if you want to mess with _me_."

"You think you've got me, eh?" Effram grunted, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Gippal pulled out one of the daggers he had taken from Rikku. "Yeah. Yeah I do." He was going to get this man back for what he had done at Djose. He moved to slam the blade into Effram's throat, when the man caught his wrist and held him off.

"So naïve." Effram muttered the word again.

Gippal's spine stiffened and he yelped as lightening lashed across his skin. His hand spasmed and he dropped the dagger.

"Was that dirty enough for you?" he asked, wiping the blood from his mouth. He grabbed both the dagger and his crossbow. Hastily, he tucked the dagger into his belt and docked another arrow into his crossbow. He took careful aim at Rikku's side, which Kimhari- being only one beast- couldn't protect, and fired. But the shot went wide as Gippal recovered and seized Effram's ankle, pulling him down again. The arrow struck Kimhari in the shoulder and the Ronso howled.

Gippal hauled out Rikku's second dagger, but Effram was not unarmed. He held the dagger Gippal had dropped. Gippal harrumphed and slammed his shoulder into Effram's gut. The fight continued.

Effram faked a strike to Gippal's chest and, when he moved to cover the strike, slashed his blind, patched eye instead. Gippal gave a yelp of agony and fell back as his blood slashed red on the dusty ground. Effram smirked and moved in for the final blow. Despite his injury, however, Gippal would not be slowed. He stumbled out of the blade's way, delivering a powerful thrust kick to his groin, sending Effram crashing down to his knees.

Gippal gripped his dagger with both hands. This would be the final blow. He could not miss! As he lunged to strike, copious amounts of white light spilled from Rikku's motionless body. The light exploded into the area, blinding the three left fighting. Gippal gritted his teeth and blindly landed the blow- he hoped. There was a scream. Then, silence.

…………………..

_oOoDancingQueenoOo: Look at Gippy's comeback, eh?_

_xInsanoBananax: Well, considering this update took so long, I hope you didn't lose too much brain_

_jen: Funny thing was, I hadn't even considered Kimhari until the previous chapter! And he wasn't even supposed to make an appearance in this one either. But thank you for your compliments! I'm glad I had written our dear Ronso guardian well!_

_green-eyed-blond: Curiously enough, I think the end of this chapter was a cliffy as well! And I hope this answered the Plague Master question! **Laughs**_

_The Al Bhed Known as Amaria: Yes! Cliffhanger! And… Another, perhaps?_

_bluetinkerbell: Hello BTB, formerly known as i don't know **grin** Okay, yes… how lame of me… haha, yes, you were right! Effram was bad! But he wasn't always meant to be the bad guy. When I started this story, I didn't know who was going to be the Plague Master- I'd considered things such as Paine, or truly Seymour- But Seymour was overdone and all of the readers started to wonder about Effram. So I thought on it… and wow, this story developed from there! Amazing what a review can do, huh?_

_Fanfic-Lover: I hope this chapter met your expectations!_

_Black Eyed Mistress: Well I hope this chapter made up for the meanest cliffy ever! **Grin** And I do hope you enjoyed it as much as you have the other chapters_


	19. Chapter 19

Shadow of Darkness

_ This chapter is late but… here you have it. The final chapter of Shadow of Darkness! I would like to thank all of my readers so much! Your reviews actually helped get this story done! And I would also like to say, keep a look out for the sequel. I wasn't intending to write one at first, but one of you asked about it and, after some thought, I've come up with an idea. So, I hope to see you when the first chapter of that comes out! And now, without further ado…_

**Chapter 19:**

"Where am I?"

Slowly, Rikku climbed to her feet and shielded her eyes against the glare of light. A field of long grass stretched out before her, filled with dancing pyreflies and little else. Oddly, she felt at ease. "Is this the Farplane? Am- am I dead?"

"You're not dead, simply unconscious. This would be your subconscious." A dark haired woman walked up to her and smiled faintly.

"I have a peaceful subconscious. Somehow, I'm surprised…" She glanced at the woman. "Marin?" Marin nodded.

Rikku frowned. "Wait, if this isn't the Farplane, how did you get here?"

"The brain is really quite powerful." She touched one of the pyreflies and it vanished. "When you fainted, your subconscious called to me."

"Fainted? Oh- oh no! Effram! He's- Gippal's-"

Marin held up her hand to silence her. Her face lit up with a youthful smile that betrayed her young age in a way her mannerisms did not. "You defeated him. Effram, that is."

"I- I did?" she stammered incredulously.

"With my help, naturally. And your friend's. He distracted Effram and Effram let his guard down."

"Oh. Naturally."

"You could've done it on your own, you know. When you called to me, I found so much raw power bottled up within you! You were too afraid to hurt Effram. You were holding it in check. You really are too 'good' for your well being."

Rikku flushed faintly. Oh, where had she heard something similar? "But how did I- you-?"

Marin shrugged. "Truly, all I did was give your brain a nudge in the right direction. You did the rest. And now, Effram is gone."

Gone? Did she really… "But…" Rikku plopped to the ground. "I- I know he was crazy, but I didn't want him dead!"

"He was already dead."

"_What_?" the blond squawked. What was _with_ Spira and the dead coming back to seek revenge?

Marin nodded. "He was executed two years ago after he tried to assassinate Maester Seymour. He was furious about Spira's treatment of the Al Bhed. And apparently Maester Seymour had his family executed for not complying with the laws of Yevon."

"Well, I felt no love for that jerk either…"

"_Anyway_… He possessed the body of a bitter bartender- one who was once a friend of Effram's. I suppose they both wanted revenge on Spira." She sighed. "All that hate…"

"What? Wait, that old Deek guy said-"

Marin planted her hands on her hips. "Oh, come on now! Master Deek is nearly ninety years old! Just how often do you think he actually gets out to check on his old students?"

Rikku gaped at her. "Oh, well ex_cuse_ me!" Then she paused. "But wait just a minute, Deek said he felt when you died. Wouldn't he feel when Effram died as well?"

"What he felt was the transfer of power. Effram clung to his power through death. Enough of this chitchat. I told you all you wanted to know." She nudged her. "Isn't it time you woke up? I'd like to return to the Farplane."

"So… wait, the dead really _do_ go to the Farplane?" This totally threw a wrench in the Al Bhed beliefs!

"Well naturally. Where else would the go? Now wake up!"

Rikku opened her eyes abruptly and found herself staring at a horribly bland canvas ceiling. She heard voices… somewhere. They were distant. She couldn't make out what was being said. Carefully, she glanced to her left and saw several cots. One slept Barthello, whose ribcage and head were tightly bound, and another slept Gippal, who had accumulated a matching pair of broken bones- an arm and a leg. Kimhari sat slumped in a near by chair, sleeping as well. His midsection and one of his great paws were bandaged. Slowly, ever slowly, she sat up and then winced in pain. Looking down at herself, she saw that she too was extensively bandaged.

"Yeesh, I can't believe we're still alive."

She glanced around the room. By the looks of it, she was in an infirmary. Besaid's infirmary, considering there was a map of Besaid on the wall across from her bed. That meant… "Yunie!"

Despite every limb screaming in protest, she swung her bandaged legs over the edge of the bed and pushed herself to her feet. She gripped the bed's headboard tightly as the room reeled beneath her feet. She took a deep, steadying breath. '_It's okay, girl_.' Once the room straightened, she took an awkward step forward. That successful, she took another, and another, tottering like an elderly woman towards the infirmary's exit.

"A smashing success by Rikku," she murmured to herself, slightly amused.

Taking another deep breath, she pulled the door flap aside and peered out. It was night and a brilliant bonfire shot yellow sparks into the sky. It seemed the entire village had gathered and were celebrating. And sitting around the fire, in the arms of a tired-looking fiancé, was an equally tired-

"_Yunie!_"

Her cousin glanced over her shoulder and smiled weakly. With Tidus' help she stood. "You're up. Lulu said you'd be out until tomorrow, at least."

She hobbled over to Yuna. "You know me. I can't be still for too long." She sniffled tearfully. "Oh Yunie!" She threw her arms around her. "Ow-ow-ow, you're alive!"

"Careful, you'll re-open your wounds." Yuna smiled despite this. "It's thanks to you that we're all okay, Rikku."

Rikku pulled out of the embrace and glanced at her and Tidus. "But… how?"

"You defeated the jerk who put this curse or whatever it was on us," Tidus replied. "That broke the spell. So says Lulu, anyway. And there's no way I'm going to argue it with her…"

"You serious?" Rikku arched a brow.

Yuna nodded, taking her cousin by the arm. "Lulu spread the word about what you've done. The villagers don't blame you for any of it anymore." She gave her an ironic smile. "You're the new hero who saved Spira."

"Hey! I- I don't want that title! It's _yours_."

"Trust me, I don't mind giving it up." She grinned and nodded towards the throngs of people who finally noticed Rikku and were surging forward. "Are you ready? Your fans await."

"You… you did this on purpose!" she squawked, stumbling backwards. Oh no, she'd be just like Yuna now- constantly badgered by awestruck people making pilgrimages to see _her_!

Beside her, Wakka chuckled. "Would you rather be hated again?"

"No! I'd rather… I'd rather be the nobody I was!" But even then she hesitated a bit. Well, perhaps she could get used to a hero's way of life. For a little while, anyway. It certainly beat returning to a life filled with silence, didn't it? Though they did look a bit intimidating, squawking at her in admiration. "Well, can you make them back off? I'd like to go rest. Yes, rest would be nice."

"That's probably a smart idea," Yuna agreed. "I'll tell them to leave you alone for tonight."

"Yes. You do that." She stumbled back, slowly making her way to the infirmary. There was a clap behind her. Then another. And another. It built up speed and volume until it became a deafening applause. Rikku glanced over her shoulder and was greeted with the sight of the entire village of Besaid and all its visitors cheering. Cheering for _her_. She smiled a little, with a laugh. She gave them a small wave and the cheering became even louder as she disappeared into the infirmary.

''''

A week had passed before Rikku was finally able to leave Besaid. And she was nearly ecstatic when that time came. She was tired of all the reverent visitors she'd received- those apologizing for grudges against the Al Bhed (though those were nice to hear), others who nearly bent over backwards to show her gratitude.

She, Gippal, and Barthello boarded a ship heading firstly for Kilika Island, set off by a grand procession.

"Better watch out, your highness. Soon you'll be getting marriage proposals from all of Spira's big wigs," Gippal teased, following her up the ship's plank.

Rikku groaned at the mere thought of it. "Don't even joke about that." She leaned against the ship's railing and waved at the send off party.

"Well, I'd marry you if I wasn't going to marry Dona first," Barthello said seriously.

Rikku gave him an amused glance.

"Hey! Hands off, meathead. I've got first dibs." Gippal reached over, jabbing Barthello in the chest.

"What am I, up for auction?" Rikku squeaked.

"I've got five hundred gil, baby. Will that suffice?"

"Not even!" She snorted, though she could feel the heat rising in her face. "Anyway, stop making fun of me. It's not nice."

"What if I'm not?"

She squinted up at his smirking face. Not teasing? With that look on his face? She gave him a light shove. "The day you stop making fun of me is the day I work as your secretary or whatever. Which will be _never_."

Gippal's grin broadened. "Hey, haven't you ever heard the old saying 'Hajan cyo hajan' _:Never say never:_?"

"Yeah, but who believes that stupid superstition anyway?"

"I do," Barthello replied.

She blinked at him. He understood Al Bhed? "Oh… oh, who asked you?"

He muttered something under his breath and fell silent.

After exchanging a few more jibes with Gippal, Rikku excused herself and went to lie down. She was afraid it was going to be a long couple of days- first stop to Kilika to drop Barthello off, then to Djose to hopefully use an airship to finally get back to Bikanel Island.

And Rikku was right. The trip _was_ long. At Kilika, Barthello nearly forced Rikku and Gippal to join himself and the ever-charming Dona for dinner. By the end of the dinner, Rikku nearly strangled Dona at least four times. She also had to endure celebrations, interviews, feasts, and speeches (which she was rather horrible at), not only in Kilika, but in Luca, Mi'ihen, and Mushroom Rock as well. While she enjoyed a good party like the next person, she was ready for peace and quiet by the time she reached Djose.

Despite the great tragedy that had occurred on those grounds, she was grateful for Djose's silence. With no more than a few grunts of instructions, she and Gippal spent the rest of the day preparing an airship for the flight to Bikanel Island. They were both irritable after all that celebrating.

Last minute, they chose to stay the night at the temple. But try as she might, Rikku wasn't able to sleep that night. Finally, after several restless hours, she clambered off the couch and left the small room she was sleeping in. She wandered the temple grounds for quite a while before she noticed a faint blue glow coming from Gippal's office. She approached the door and peered through the crack cautiously. The glow appeared to be coming from a sphere screen. Steeling herself against what might come, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Gippal?"

He was sitting at his desk staring vacantly at a blank, blue sphere screen, as if he was trying to look through it rather than at it. She'd never seen him look that way before. He made a noise of surprised when she said his name and his eyes focused on her, glowing eerily in the sphere screen's light.

"What are you doing up and about, Highness?" he asked with a faint grin. "I thought _all_ royalty needed plenty of beauty sleep."  
Her only retort was a snort. "I couldn't sleep." She stepped further into the office and glanced around. "What were you doing?" She smirked. "Watching dirty spheres?"

"What?" He glanced at the blank sphere screen. "Oh… no. I forgot that was even on." He turned the screen off and the room was plunged into near darkness.

"What _were_ you doing?" she asked again.

"Nothing really. Just…" He sighed wearily and she could just make out him running his hands over his face. "Just thinking."

"About what happened?" She crossed the room and sat in a rickety chair across from Gippal's desk.

"About that. And what could've happened." He couldn't quite look at her, though Rikku thought she felt the heat of his gaze. He tugged at a tuft of his hair and muttered gruffly, "About what almost happened."

She squirmed uncomfortably, suddenly quite aware that she and Gippal were very much alone. "Al-almost happened?" she said squeakily.

"Well, yeah. That jerk nearly killed you- _us_. Nearly killed _us_," he said hastily.

"You've still been thinking about it?" she asked, ignoring the erratic fluttering in her chest. She cracked the faintest of smiles. "Doesn't all that thinking make your head hurt?"

"Oh ha _ha_," he grunted.

"You see, me, I'm trying _not_ to think about it." She sighed. "It happened. What can we really do about it?"

There was a moment of silence between them. "Once again, you surprise me with your intellect." She heard a smile in his voice.

"Of course. I'm a lot smarter than I look, you know."

"I know."

Rikku blinked in surprise. Okay, his lack of teasing was freaking her out. And making her blush like crazy. So she told him this- the first part, naturally.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I've just been thinking a lot lately. Don't worry, I'll tease you double tomorrow. Does that suit you, Highness?"

"No, not really." She smiled a bit and then felt unnaturally daring. She clambered onto his desk. Perhaps it was just the moment that prompted what happened next.

"Just remember, all thought and no play makes Gippal a very… dull… boy." Their lips barely brushed and then… she snorted. She fell back, giggling hysterically. She had felt it; he really thought she'd do it! "Ooh, ooh look!" She snorted through her laughter. "You thought- you thought-!" She gasped for air. "You thought I was going to kiss you!"

"Rikku!" Gippal yelled, pelting her upside the head with a wad of paper.

She simply continued giggling.

"Dammit, you don't trick a guy like that!"

"Oh boo hoo! Like you didn't expect me to do that!"

"The sad thing is, I didn't!"

There was an uncomfortable silence between them. "You didn't?"

"Er… gah, forget it okay? Isn't it time you got back to your beauty sleep, Highness?"

She blinked at him in surprise. Well, if he was just going to be like that… "Oh fine you big baby." She slipped her hands around the back of his neck, yanked him close, and kissed him hard. "Better?" she asked breathlessly, finally breaking the kiss. Later she would wonder what possessed her to kiss him in the first place.

"Eh, it will do. For now."

She swatted him. "Banjand _:pervert:_."

He grabbed her arm and turned her towards the door. Hastily, he pushed her towards it. "Now go to bed."

"Sir yes sir!" she shouted, giving him a saucy salute. With a squeak, she darted out the door as wads of paper flew in her direction.

''''

Rikku stared out the window of the cramped airship down at the dusty island of Bikanel and felt a sense of relief wash over her. Finally, it was over. She would go back to digging and her life would return to normal. She smiled a bit. She had missed playing around in the hot sand, surprisingly. And it felt like an eternity since she'd left.

"Ooh, can't you make this hunk of junk move any faster!" she asked Gippal impatiently.

"Hey, this is the best I could do. You were the one nagging that you wanted to leave so soon. So sit down and shut up. It's going to take as long as it takes."

She stuck her tongue out at him and resumed staring out the window. About fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the digger's campsite. Business was bustling as usual, to Rikku's relief. She didn't have to walk between lines of fervent admirers and screeching cheers.

Gippal followed close behind. "Well, this is certainly a nice change.

"Isn't it though?"

"Wonder where Nhadala is?" He grabbed the arm of a spotty-faced youth trotting by and asked.

"The hell if I know," the boy retorted, yanking out of Gippal's grip. He trotted off towards a departing hover.

Gippal snorted, put off. "That is coming out of that brat's pay. Kids these days."

Rikku laughed. "Watch it. You sound like an old man. You're not an old man, are you, Gip- Nhadala!" She spotted the blond woman in her usual spot, chin deep in machina parts and paperwork.

"Eh? Oh, Rikku. You're back."

"Yep." She bowed. "Ace digger, reporting for duty!" Behind her, Gippal was griping about the rude digger.

Nhadala winced. "I wish I had a job to give you."

Rikku stared at her, confused. "What are you talking about- Gippal, shut up for, like, _one_ second!" she snapped as he had been trying to get a word in edgewise.

"Fine, let the baby have her bottle," he muttered.

She shook her head and glanced at Nhadala again. "What do you mean you wish you had a job to give me? What about the job I already have?"

"Hey, you can't blame me. You were gone a lot longer than you originally told me. You didn't bother telling me _why_ you were gone. I had to replace you."

"_What!_" she sputtered. "I was saving the freaking world, thankyouverymuch!"

"Whether or not the world needs to be saved, work goes on! I needed someone. I'm sorry, Rikku, but we don't have any room for you out here."

"But- I- you can't- I-" She gave a frustrated snort.

A hand dropped on her shoulder and a smug voice said, "Hark? What's this I hear? The Princess is out of a job?"

Rikku groaned. "Gippal…"

He smirked. "Hmm, that secretary job is starting to sound pretty tempting, eh? Whatever are you going to do?"

"Not work for you, if that's what you're implying!"

"So you'd rather be poor, bumming off Cousin Yuna, who's getting married by the way."

Okay, so he made a very good point. She very well couldn't mooch off of Yuna, or anyone else for that matter. And she always liked working with machines… She heaved a great and tragic sigh. "Fine, I'll work for you."

"Eh? Who said I was still offering?"

"Gippal! Come on!" She stomped her foot childishly.

He smirked, plopping his arm around her shoulders. "We'll discuss this in my office," he said, guiding her towards the airship. "By the way, I hear you have a rather sexy dressphere they call Lady Luck. It might influence my decision if you wore it."

_CRACK!_

Nhadala glanced over her pile of machina and snickered as Gippal grabbed his cheek and he and Rikku started shouting at one another. "Oh, that had to hurt."

The End 

…………………..

_o0oDancingQueeno0o: Hahah, yes, Gippy is amazing_

_Ataramos: I'm glad this story inspired you to stay out of bed long enough to read it::chuckles: I hope this chapter is as enjoyable!_

_Black Eyed Mistress: Yes, Effram is bad! But you know, he wasn't always going to be the bad guy. I can't remember who I was going to have it be, but I know that he was going to possess Paine… But clearly, that changed::laughs: But yes, there is going to be a sequel. And be on the look out for a new dressphere._

_Seelenspiel: Thank you for your wonderful compliments! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!_

_xInsanoBananax: I hope this chapter explained the light! It's nothing too complicated, I don't think… _

_Canada Eh: Aww, you make me blush with your compliments. Thank you so much! I hope to see you around for the sequel!_

_Rikku SWiRLS::laughs: Three cheers for the evil guys, eh?_

_FairyIce, formerly known as Jen: Yes, Effram is evil to the core! Hm… one day perhaps I should write _his_ story… _

_Jezzi: Hope you enjoyed this final chapter!_

_green-eyed-blonde::laughs: I'm glad I answered your question!_

_Bluetinkerbell: Oh gosh, you flatter me too much! Thank you very much! I hope you end up enjoying the sequel as much as you have this story!_

_Pikachu: Well, I hope you are happy Rikku was the one who defeated Effram! Sort of… Close enough, right::chuckles: _


End file.
